TREASURY

Child Care

Caroline Flint: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps have been taken to reduce the tax contribution for private child care providers.

Dawn Primarolo: Introducing the National Childcare Strategy shows that the Government recognise the importance of good quality affordable child care. We have encouraged and supported private child care provision.

Public Service Agreements

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish an assessment of the progress made in improving public services through public service agreements.

Paul Boateng: Departments publish performance against their public service agreement targets in departmental reports.

Financial Regulation

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what new proposals he has to improve the regulation of financial services.

Ruth Kelly: Since the FSA assumed its statutory powers on 1 December last year, it has been the single authority with responsibility for the regulation of the UK financial services industry, with rule-making powers. By 2004, the FSA will also assume responsibility for the regulation of mortgages and general insurance. The FSA has proposed changes to the polarisation rules that should enhance the benefits of competition and improve access to financial advice for many consumers and is working to ensure that information and disclosure to consumers of endowment mortgages and other financial products is improved.

Bingo

Gillian Merron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how he will ensure that bingo players benefit from the proposed extension of the betting and pools tax regime.

John Healey: We will do so precisely in the way we did when reforming the betting and pools tax regimes, by working with the bingo companies to produce a new system of taxation which boosts growth, secures duty revenues, and benefits bingo players.

European Union

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if his Department has analysed the annual fund flows into the United Kingdom deriving from membership of the European Union; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: HM Treasury officials continually monitor UK public sector receipts from the EC Budget, and an analysis is published in the annual White Paper on European Community Finances.

Venture Capital

David Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Treasury is doing to ensure the availability of venture capital in all parts of the UK.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government are committed to increasing the supply of risk capital for businesses throughout the UK. Backed by up to £80 million of Government support, regional venture capital funds will provide up to £270 million of investment in small businesses with growth potential across England. The devolved Administrations have similar public/private equity schemes. The Government have also invested £20 million in a £40 million community development venture fund focused on the most deprived wards in England.

Small Businesses

James Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from small business representatives about taxation.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government have received a number of representations from a variety of organisations.

Small Businesses

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what bilateral discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry regarding new taxes and regulations imposed on small businesses.

Dawn Primarolo: The Chancellor meets regularly with Cabinet colleagues, including the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.
	Since 1997 the Government have introduced numerous measures to help small business, including:
	making 40 per cent. first year capital allowances permanent;
	implementing the recommendations of the Carter Review of Payroll Services;
	cutting the small companies' rate of corporation tax from 23 per cent. to just 19 per cent. and reducing the 10 per cent. starting rate to zero;
	introducing a 10p starting rate of income tax; and
	introducing measures to ease the impact of VAT on small business.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that regulations are fair and effective, so that they protect the vulnerable but do not stifle enterprise or productivity. Policy is to regulate only when necessary. Where appropriate the Government have exempted small business from certain regulations. Two examples are, exempting small shops from the new EU unit pricing requirements and exempting employers with 20 or fewer employees from the trade union recognition procedures in the Employment Relations Act.

Debt Cancellation

Vera Baird: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about his policy towards the cancellation of the poorest countries' debts.

Iain Luke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a further statement on his policy towards the cancellation of debt in the world's poorest countries.

John Healey: The Chancellor argued strongly for the further progress on debt that was made at the G7 meeting in Halifax, Canada, this weekend. The decision to complete the financing of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) trust fund will allow a further $1 billion (£677 million) of debt to be written off from the poorest countries' balance sheets.
	That will help them adjust to the impact of the world economic slow down following the tragic events of September 11 and the collapse in commodity prices.
	Under its 100 per cent. policy, the UK is already providing total debt relief to all eligible countries under the HIPC initiative and continues to use every opportunity to press other countries to do likewise.

Manufacturing

Michael Jack: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what rate UK manufacturing industry productivity has changed since 1997.

John Healey: UK manufacturing productivity growth has averaged 2.6 per cent. a year since 1997. The Government are aiming to deliver conditions for improved productivity performance over the long term, and to that end have introduced a range of policies to promote competition, and raise investment, innovation and skills.

Manufacturing

Brian Cotter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the impact of the recent slow down in the eurozone economy on manufacturing industry in the south-west of England.

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor and other Treasury Ministers regularly meet with manufacturing representatives from all regions and countries of the UK, including the south-west. These discussions cover a wide range of issues and the Government value the insights gained.

Customs and Excise

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the deployment of HM Customs and Excise resources in remote coastal communities.

John Healey: Customs' resources, including its modern cutter fleet, are deployed flexibly around the UK coast on an intelligence-led basis to address smuggling threats. 16 people were sentenced to over 200 years in jail recently for trying to bring cocaine into the UK in yachts.

Customs and Excise

Robert Wareing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many customs officers are under suspension; in which regions of the country they are employed; what reasons led to their suspension; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: holding answer 17 June 2002
	The total number of Customs and Excise officers suspended as at 16 June 2002 is 12. Seven are employed in the north of England, three in London, and two in the south of England. All involve allegations of potential gross misconduct, which if proved may result in dismissal.
	It is Customs and Excise policy that suspension is normally only imposed in the most serious cases, when it is necessary and in the public interest. Suspension is always without prejudice, and does not anticipate any decision about the allegations made.

Further Education

Anne Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Department for Education and Skills on his plans to give financial support to 16 to 18-year-olds in further education.

Paul Boateng: The Chancellor and other Treasury Ministers have regular discussions with the Department for Education and Skills.

Climate Change Levy

Eric Illsley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the climate change levy on those industries unable to qualify for rebates.

John Healey: All of the revenue from the climate change levy is recycled back to business through NICs cuts and support for energy efficiency. While the levy package is broadly revenue neutral to business as a whole, the effects on any specific sector will depend on a number of factors, including:
	The future energy consumption of firms in the sector and the use they make of levy funded energy efficiency support.
	Employment levels in those sectors and the benefits received from the levy funded national insurance contribution cuts.
	What use firms in that sector make of electricity generated from levy-exempt renewable sources of energy and combined heat and power.

Climate Change Levy

Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has recently received from business organisations about the climate change levy.

John Healey: As part of the normal process of contact with business, the Chancellor and the Treasury ministerial team have met a variety of business organisations and individual companies, and have heard a variety of representations on climate change levy, and on other matters.

Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries

Stephen Ladyman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the contribution of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries to the national economy.

Ruth Kelly: The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries make a valuable contribution to the UK economy in terms of output, exports, employment and innovation. For example, the UK leads the rest of Europe in the industrial exploitation of biotechnology, and is the world's third largest direct exporter of pharmaceuticals.

Annuities

Anthony Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the document "Modernising Annuities", with special reference to his policy on the upper age limit for turning savings into retirement income.

Ruth Kelly: As the consultation document "Modernising Annuities" sets out, there are sound financial reasons for people to annuitise their retirement savings by age 75. So the Government do not propose to abolish the age 75 rule.
	The consultation, which ran until 5 April, was intended to stimulate discussion on annuity issues. The Government are now evaluating the outcome of the consultation before deciding how to proceed.

Annuities

Hugo Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from interested organisations on annuities.

Ruth Kelly: There were 601 responses to the Government's recent consultation document "Modernising Annuities". The Government are evaluating the outcome of the consultation before deciding how to proceed.

Working Families Tax Credit

Charlotte Atkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the take-up of the working families tax credit within Staffordshire, Moorlands.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Jarrow (Mr. Hepburn) on 16 January 2002, Official Report, column 293W.

World Poverty

Betty Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the role of international trade in the reduction of poverty in the poorest countries.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer given today by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the hon. Member for Amber Valley (Ms Mallaber), Official Report, column 395.

Road Fuels

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on rates of duty for (a) biodiesel/bioethanol and (b) fossil gas fuels, LPG and CNG.

John Healey: We shall be introducing a new, lower rate of duty on biodiesel on Royal Assent to the Finance Bill, 20 pence per litre less than the rate for ultra-low sulphur mineral diesel. We have also introduced duty incentives to encourage the production and use of road fuel gases, such as compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and have given a commitment that duty on these fuels will be frozen in real terms until at least 2004.

Road Fuels

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration has been given to the (a) chemical marking of and (b) addition of yellow dye to UK petrol and diesel to deter the sale and use of illegal fuel.

John Healey: The Government set out their strategy for tackling the misuse of marked rebated oils as road fuels in "Tackling Indirect Tax Fraud", published alongside the 2001 pre-Budget report. Following consultations, action is being taken to tighten fiscal control over the distribution of rebated oils and to introduce an additional European marker for rebated gas oil and rebated kerosene. The Government have seen no evidence that marking legitimate duty paid fuel would constitute a more effective or pragmatic response to the problem.

Road Fuels

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of cross-border fuel smuggling on the Northern Ireland economy.

John Healey: The Government are committed to tackling fuel duty evasion and its associated problems in Northern Ireland. Further details about road fuels fraud in Northern Ireland and the Government's activities to counter it have been published in the documents "Tackling Indirect Tax Fraud" (November 2001) and the Northern Ireland Organised Crime Task Force's "Threat Assessment and Strategy" documents (May 2002). Copies of these documents have been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Road Fuels

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make an assessment of the amount of duty lost because of smuggling between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland over the last 12 months.

John Healey: Customs' most recent estimate of the total revenue loss from the use of non-UK duty paid fuels, including legitimate cross-border shopping as well as all types of fraud, is for the calendar year 2000 and is contained in "Tackling Indirect Tax Fraud", published in November 2001 as part of the PBR. The Government have undertaken to update those figures annually.

Road Fuels

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average cost is of a litre of (a) unleaded petrol and (b) diesel fuel in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) the rest of the United Kingdom; and what proportion of the cost is made up of fuel duty in each case.

John Healey: The Department of Trade and Industry collect information on the average pump prices of unleaded petrol and diesel on a weekly basis across the UK. However, this information is not broken down by geographical region and so it is not possible to provide average costs for Northern Ireland specifically.
	DTI data suggests that, as at 10 June 2002, the UK average pump price of a litre of diesel was 76.1 pence and the UK average pump price of a litre of unleaded petrol was 74.6 pence.
	At those prices, 60.2 per cent. of the price of a litre of diesel and 61.4 per cent. of the price of a litre of petrol is made up from fuel duty.

Road Fuels

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many motor vehicles were seized in (a) Scotland and (b) the United Kingdom as a result of fuel fraud, in each year since 1995.

John Healey: Customs records of the number of vehicles seized do not disaggregate between the nature of the offences involved in each case. I regret, therefore, that this information is not available.

Road Fuels

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated annual cost to the Treasury is from illegal use of red diesel.

John Healey: Customs latest estimates of the overall revenue loss from all forms of oils fraud were set out in the document "Tackling Indirect Tax Fraud" published in November 2001.
	Customs believe the great majority of fraud on the British mainland involves the misuse of rebated or low tax fuels supplied for non-road use, but a specific estimate of loss from red diesel alone is not available.

Road Fuels

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the use of illegally produced fuel in the financing of paramilitary organisations.

John Healey: Customs have made no such assessment. However, the Northern Ireland Organised Crime Task Force's Year Two "Threat Assessment", which was published in May 2002, contains further information on the role of serious and organised crime in oils fraud. Copies of this document have been placed in the House of Commons Library.

House Prices

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his assessment is of the impact of house prices on the performance of the UK economy.

Ruth Kelly: The impact of house prices on the UK economy was taken into account in the Government's latest assessment of UK economic developments and prospects, published in Chapter B of the Financial Statement and Budget Report, April 2002.

Welsh Assembly

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will extend the borrowing powers of the National Assembly for Wales.

Paul Boateng: There are no plans to extend the borrowing powers of the National Assembly for Wales.

Unemployment

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the recent 12-month rise in the claimant measure of unemployment in London.

Ruth Kelly: Despite rising over the past 12 months, claimant count unemployment in London has fallen by nearly 120,000 (42 per cent.) since spring 1997 and, as for the UK as a whole, remains close to the lowest levels since the 1970s. Moreover, with employment continuing to rise, increasing by 12,000 over the past year, the London labour market is stable and performing well by historical standards.
	The Government's new deal programmes have eased the transition from welfare to work for over 124,000 people in London and the south-east who have moved into sustainable jobs.

UK Poverty

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress is being made by the Government in meeting their poverty reduction targets for the UK.

Gordon Brown: This Government are committed to reducing child poverty by one quarter by 2004, halving it by 2010 on the road to eradicating child poverty in a generation.
	Central to this is the new child tax credit, which together with child benefit, will ensure that benefits for the poorest families—worth £28 a week for the first child in 1997—will be £54.25 from next April.
	A meeting of the Joint Ministerial Group on Poverty with the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Ireland Administrations will take place next month to examine not just benefits but services to children.

Financial Services Authority

Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the annual report of the Financial Services Authority to be published.

Ruth Kelly: The FSA annual report is being published today. Copies are available in the Libraries of both Houses. The report forms a key part of the accountability mechanism for the FSA under Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, and this report is the first to assess the performance of the FSA against its statutory objectives.

Timber

Joan Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the refurbishment projects that (a) are in progress and (b) will start within the next six months; and what action is being taken to ensure that these will procure certified timber.

Ruth Kelly: We are awaiting full details of the procurement of timber for the refurbishment of the Treasury building from the contractors concerned, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is made available.

Self-assessment Tax Returns

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what penalties have been paid under the strategic partnership contract with EDS as a result of recent problems with the facilities for submitting self- assessment tax returns over the internet; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: No penalties have been paid under the strategic partnership with EDS as a result of recent problems with the facilities for submitting self-assessment tax returns over the internet.

Self-assessment Tax Returns

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update his answer of 27 February 2002, Official Report, column 1330W, on self-assessment tax returns; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The statistical data requested are as detailed in the table.
	
		
			 Tax Year Date SA ITRs issued SA ITRs received SA ITRs processed SA ITRs waiting to be processed 
		
		
			 2000–01 3 March 2002 9,607,600 8,729,200 6,889,791 1,839,409 
			  31 March 2002 9,641,240 8,803,111 8,006,918 796,193 
			 2001–02 14 April 2002 6,354,061 26,919 0 26,919 
			  5 May 2002 8,879,206 283,553 73,251 210,302 
			  2 June 2002 9,079,836 751,446 323,245 428,201

Self-assessment Tax Returns

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update his answer of 19 July 2001, Official Report, column 382W, on the cost of internet tax returns; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The cost of providing self- assessment tax returns on the internet is:
	Fixed Cost
	The estimated cost of implementing the internet service for self-assessment for years one to three is about £17 million.
	Marginal Cost
	The on-going support costs, including maintenance, help desk support and on-going improvements to the system is between £3 to £4 million per annum.

Family Statistics

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is for the latest year for which information is available of (a) the percentage of children living in one parent families, (b) the number of live births per 1,000 teenage women and (c) the percentage of children born outside marriage, broken down by (i) social class, (ii) income, (iii) race and (iv) geographic location; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 19 June 2002
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Laws, dated 20 June 2002
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your request for estimates for the latest year for which information is available of (a) the percentage of children living in one parent families, (b) the number of live births per 1,000 teenage women and (c) the percentage of children born outside marriage, broken down by (i) social class, (ii) income, (iii) race and (iv) geographic location. (62406)
	There is only limited information available for some of these topics. No information is available for lone parents by the divisions requested and no information is available for births by income. The information I am able to provide is found in the attached annexes. Annex A contains information by social class. Annex B contains information by ethnic group and Annex C contains information by geographic location. All data relate to the year 2000, the latest year for which data are available, unless otherwise stated.
	Annex A—Data by Social Class
	(i) The number of live births to teenage women
	It is not possible to present the number of live births per 1,000 teenage women by social class as population estimates by social class are not available. Also social class is only available in England and Wales and Northern Ireland by father's social class, so it is not possible to derive social class for registrations where only the mother's name is recorded. In England and Wales a 10 per cent. sample of the fathers' occupation and employment status is used to determine social class. For Scotland births within marriage are categorised to social class of the father; social class of the mother is used to categorise births outside marriage.
	The number of live births to teenage women are given in the following tables for 2000, the latest year for which information is available for the United Kingdom. Data for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are presented separately because of differences between the constituent countries in the way social class is allocated (see above). The key for the social classifications is at the end of this annex.
	
		The number of live births to women aged under 20 by social class of father, England and Wales, 2000 -- thousands
		
			  Social class  Within marriage Jointly registered outside marriage Sole registrations 
		
		
			 I and II 0.7 2.4 Not available 
			 IIIN 0.5 2.1 Not available 
			 IIIM 1.4 9.6 Not available 
			 IV and V 1.3 10.7 Not available 
			 Non-manual 1.3 4.5 Not available 
			 Manual 2.7 20.3 Not available 
			 Other 0.8 3.8 Not available 
			 Total 4.7 28.6 12.5 
		
	
	Source:
	Birth Statistics 2000 FMI No. 29, England and Wales
	
		The number of live births to women aged under 20, by social class of father if inside marriage and mother if outside marriage, Scotland, 2000 -- thousands
		
			 Social class Births 
		
		
			 I and II 0.1 
			 IIIN 0.9 
			 IIIM 0.4 
			 IV and V 0.8 
			 Non-manual 1.0 
			 Manual 1.2 
			 Other 2.4 
			  
			 Total 4.6 
		
	
	Source:
	General Register Office for Scotland
	
		The number of live births to women aged under 20, by social class -- of father, Northern Ireland, 2000thousands
		
			 Social class Births 
		
		
			 I and II 0.1 
			 IIIN 0.2 
			 IIIM 0.6 
			 IV and V 0.4 
			 Non-manual 0.2 
			 Manual 0.9 
			 Armed forces, inadequately described and sole registrations 0.5  
			 Total 1.6 
		
	
	Source:
	Registrar General Northern Ireland Annual Report 2000
	(ii) The percentage of children born outside marriage
	The numbers and percentages of children born inside and outside marriage by social class are given in the following tables for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland separately. The key for the social classifications is at the end of this annex.
	
		The number of live births to women inside and outside marriage by social class of father, England and Wales, 2000
		
			 Social class Within marriage (thousands) Jointly registered outside marriage (thousands) Sole registrations (thousands) Percentage outside marriage, where information on father is available 
		
		
			 I and II 161.5 44.3 (1)— 22 
			 IIIN 37.8 15.0 (1)— 28 
			 IIIM 91.6 68.3 (1)— 43 
			 IV and V 56.7 53.8 (1)— 49 
			 Non-manual 199.3 59.3 (1)— 23 
			 Manual 148.3 122.1 (1)— 45 
			 Other 18.2 11.4 (1)— 39 
			  
			 Total 365.8 192.8 45.8 (2)39 
		
	
	(1) Not available
	(2) Percentage outside marriage includes sole registrations
	Source:
	Birth Statistics 2000 FMI No. 29, England and Wales
	
		The number of live births to women inside and outside marriage, by social class of father if inside marriage and mother if outside marriage, Scotland, 2000
		
			 Social class Within marriage (thousands) Outside marriage (thousands) Percentage outside marriage 
		
		
			 I and II 13.1 3.3 20 
			 IIIN 3.3 5.3 62 
			 IIIM 8.1 1.9 19 
			 IV and V 5.4 4.4 4.5 
			 Non-manual 16.4 8.6 34 
			 Manual 13.6 6.3 32 
			 Other 0.5 7.7 94 
			  
			 Total 30.5 22.6 43 
		
	
	Source:
	General Register Office for Scotland
	
		The number of live births inside and outside marriage, by social class of father, Northern Ireland, 2000
		
			 Social class Within marriage (thousands) Outside marriage (thousands) Percentage outside marriage 
		
		
			 I and II 5.1 0.7 12 
			 IIIN 2.0 0.7 28 
			 IIIM 4.9 2.2 31 
			 IV and V 2.5 1.8 42 
			 Non-manual 7.0 1.4 17 
			 Manual 7.4 4.0 35 
			 Armed forces, inadequately described and sole registrations 0.2 1.4 87 
			  
			 Total 14.7 6.8 32 
		
	
	Source:
	Registrar General Northern Ireland Annual Report 2000
	The key for social classification codes is as follows:
	Non-manual
	I Professional
	II Managerial and technical
	IIIN Skilled occupations (non-manual)
	Manual
	IIIM Skilled occupations (manual)
	IV Partly skilled occupations
	V Unskilled occupations
	Other—Residential groups including the unemployed, armed forces and students and those whose occupation was inadequately described.
	Annex B—Data by Ethnicity
	Information is not collected at registration on ethnicity, only on country of birth of parents. In a recent article in Population Trends 1 data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) were used to estimate average fertility rates for births to teenage mothers by ethnic group in Great Britain. Part of Table 3 of that article is presented below, giving data for the period 1990–96. It should be noted that the results are based on very small sample numbers. No information is available from the LFS on marital status at the time of birth so it is not possible to look at ethnic fertility rates inside and outside marriage.
	1 Berthoud R. Teenage births to ethnic minority women Population Trends No. 104 TSO(2001) pp 12–17
	
		Teenage birth rates per 1,000 for the years 1990–96 derived from -- the Labour Force Survey, Great Britain
		
			 Ethnic group Births per 1,000 
		
		
			 White 31 
			 Caribbean 47 
			 Indian 7 
			 Pakistani 30 
			 Bangladeshi 53 
			 Other 23 
		
	
	Annex C—Data by Geography
	(i) The number of live births per 1,000 teenage women
	Teenage birth rates by geographic location are shown in the following table.
	
		Teenage birth rates by country and region, United Kingdom, 2000
		
			 Country Rate per 1,000 
		
		
			 England 28.8 
			 Wales 35.2 
			 Scotland 29.1 
			 Northern Ireland 26.1 
			 Government office regions  
			 North East 37.2 
			 North West 33.4 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 34.5 
			 East Midlands 29.4 
			 West Midlands 32.6 
			 East 23.9 
			 London 27.8 
			 South East 22.2 
			 South West 23.7 
		
	
	Sources:
	Birth Statistics 2000 FMI No. 29 England and Wales
	Registrar General for Scotland Annual Report 2000,
	Registrar General Northern Ireland Report 2000
	(ii) The percentage of children born outside marriage
	The percentages of children born outside marriage by geographic location are given in the following table.
	
		Percentage of births outside marriage by country and region, United Kingdom, 2000
		
			 Country Percentage 
		
		
			 England 39.1 
			 Wales 47.2 
			 Scotland 42.6 
			 Northern Ireland 31.8 
			 Government office regions  
			 North East 50.5 
			 North West 46.3 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 42.9 
			 East Midlands 41.2 
			 West Midlands 39.9 
			 East 35.3 
			 London 34.5 
			 South East 34.1 
			 South West 37.8 
		
	
	Sources:
	Birth Statistics 2000 FMI No. 29, England and Wales
	Registrar General for Scotland Annual Report 2000
	Registrar General Northern Ireland Annual Report 2000

Euro

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to assist Bank of England officials in making an analysis of whether the five economic tests for euro membership have been met; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The Government have said that they will complete an assessment of the five tests within two years of the start of this Parliament. It is clear that the assessment will be a Government assessment and that the work will be undertaken by the Treasury. Once the assessment is complete, the Government will publish the conclusions and the report.

Consultation Exercises

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many consultation exercises the Treasury has launched in each year since 1997.

John Healey: Details of HM Treasury consultation papers released since 2000, including their opening and closing dates, are available on the Treasury's website (www.hm-treasury.gov.uk).
	Since 1997, the Treasury has issued 79 consultations on its website. The totals by year were:
	2002: 7
	2001: 32
	2000: 15
	1999: 15
	1998: 6
	1997: 4.

Public Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what public appointments he has made since 7 June 2001.

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor announced on 1 June 2002 that Laurel Powers-Freeling had been appointed to the Court of the Bank of England and that Bridget Blow, Sir Howard Davies, Sir Ian Gibson and Kathleen O'Donovan had been reappointed.

Earnings

Michael Moore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what percentage of full-time workers in (a) Scotland, (b) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland and (c) Great Britain earned gross pay (i) including and (ii) excluding overtime less than (A) £302.12 per week, (B) £277.24 per week, (C) £203.85 per week and (D) £155.39 per week who were (1) male manual (2) male non-manual, (3) male, (4) female manual, (5) female non-manual, (6) female, (7) manual and (8) non-manual workers;
	(2)  what the average weekly earnings based on gross pay (a) including and (b) excluding overtime were for full-time workers in (1) Scotland, (2) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland and (3) Great Britain for (A) all manual, (B) all non-manual and (C) all workers in the last 12 months.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Michael Moore, dated 20 June 2002
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions on weekly earnings for workers in Great Britain, Scotland the unitary authorities in Scotland. (62913 and 62914).
	I am placing in the House of Commons Library, tables showing average weekly earnings, both including and excluding overtime, (Table 1) and the proportion of people earning below the different thresholds you listed, both including overtime (Table 2) and excluding overtime (Table 3).
	The New Earnings Survey (NES) can provide earnings data for small geographical areas. The release of NES data is restricted to figures that are derived from a sufficiently large sample of employees, and have an acceptable level of accuracy and I have provided the available data for Scotland, the unitary authorities in Scotland and Great Britain only for those areas where the samples are large enough. These are based on the 2001 NES, the latest survey for which data are available.

Road Taxes

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money was collected in taxation from motorists in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

John Healey: Details of revenues collected from excise duties on road fuels, and from vehicle excise duty, are published annually in the Financial Statement and Budget Report (FSBR). A collated series of annual duty receipts from road fuels is included in HM Customs "Hydrocarbon Oils Factsheet", a copy of which is available from the House of Commons Library.
	Details of income tax on benefits in kind relating to company cars and free fuel are given on the Inland Revenue's website.
	Data are not available on the total VAT from the purchase of road fuels, nor on the VAT raised on the purchase of all motor vehicles.
	Information regarding insurance premium tax on motor insurance premiums is not available, as Customs and Excise do not require insurers to identify the specific types of insurance policies on which insurance premium tax is paid.

VAT

Mark Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has asked that products which offer an alternative to natural resources be considered in the 2003 EU review of products qualifying for reduced VAT; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The UK intends to play a full and active part in the forthcoming review of the EU's VAT reduced rate provisions. The Government are considering carefully the merits of changes to the existing list of products to which a reduced rate may be applied, and will be making representations, as appropriate, in due course.

VAT

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reduce VAT on domestic repair and maintenance.

John Healey: A reduced rate of VAT on domestic repair and maintenance would be a major change to the VAT base. Such a change would require careful consideration of all social, environmental and economic effects.

Unpaid Advisers

Phil Willis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 246W, on unpaid advisers, if he will list the steps that were taken to ensure that no conflicts of interest arose as a result of this appointment.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Prime Minister on 19 June 2002, Official Report, column 332W.

Tax Credits

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are in receipt of (a) the working families tax credit and (b) the disabled persons tax credit in (i) the Edinburgh, West constituency, (ii) the City of Edinburgh local authority area, (iii) Scotland and (iv) the UK; and what percentage these figures represent of the estimated numbers of the people who are eligible for the credits in these respective areas.

Dawn Primarolo: For the numbers in receipt of the tax credits, I refer the hon. Member to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Jarrow (Mr. Hepburn) on 16 January 2002, Official Report, column 293W.
	No reliable estimate of the take-up rate of the working families' tax credit can be attempted until the Family Resources Survey for 2000–01 is analysed; and no reliable estimates can be made below the national level, or for the disabled person's tax credit.

Interest Rates

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the annual savings to the Exchequer which would result from lower debt interest costs if United Kingdom interest rates were (a) 0.5 per cent., (b) 0.75 per cent., (c) 1 per cent., (d) 2 per cent. and (e) 3 per cent. lower across the yield curve for (i) 2001–02, (ii) 2002–03, (iii) 2003–4, (iv) 2004–05, (v) 2005–06 and (vi) 2006–07.

Ruth Kelly: Each percentage point reduction, across all years, in short and long term interest rates, would lead to savings in debt interest payments of approximately £0.6 billion in 2002–03 and £0.8 billion in 2003–04. No projections have been published for years beyond 2003–04.

Children's Tax Credit

Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families are receiving children's tax credit in the London borough of Wandsworth.

Dawn Primarolo: Information about the children's tax credit (CTC) is not available by local authority. However, the number of families who are eligible for the CTC in London is estimated to be 475,000.

Children's Tax Credit

Margaret Moran: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the children's tax credit on Luton.

Dawn Primarolo: In this tax year families with children in Luton are up to £529 better off, and if they have a new baby, up to £1,049 better off as a result of the children's tax credit.

PRIME MINISTER

Official Visits

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  on how many occasions his (a) Chief of Staff, (b) Director of Communications and Strategy and (c) other members of his office travelled abroad on official business between 31 March 2001 and 31 March 2002; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost;
	(2)  on how many occasions members of the No. 10 Policy Unit travelled abroad on official business between 31 March 2001 and 31 March 2002; what places were visited; and how much each visit cost.

Tony Blair: In the period 31 March 2001 to 31 March 2002, my Chief of Staff, my Director of Communications and Strategy and other members of my office have travelled overseas on official business, including accompanying me on official visits, on 93 occasions.
	The costs of all officials who accompanied me on overseas visits are included in the detailed list of Cabinet Ministers' visits overseas and information on expenditure by all Ministers on travel overseas. The list for the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 will be published as soon as possible.
	The average cost of all other official travel was approximately £1,516 per visit.
	All visits have been made in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Civil Service Management Code. These arrangements follow the practice of successive Administrations.

Electronic Databases

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Berwick- upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith), of 22 May 2002, Official Report, column 319W, on electronic databases, if he will list the categories under which information is held in the electronic databases, including the general information database.

Tony Blair: The parliamentary section database contains the text of oral and written parliamentary questions tabled to the Prime Minister, the answers given, and the name of the MP, their party and constituency taken from the list of Members on the House of Commons website.
	The general information database contains policy briefing, public material which includes the Prime Minister's answers to parliamentary questions, speeches, articles and No. 10 press notices and a virtual Library with links to publicly available electronic reference sources.

Members of Parliament (Personal Data)

Eric Forth: To ask the Prime Minister what information is held by his Office on each hon. Member in relation to (a) personal relationships, both current and past, (b) financial status and dealings, (c) connections with companies and interest groups, (d) connections with Governments and (e) published works; and what information was held in January.

Tony Blair: My Office has access to published reference sources, as well as to the information about hon. Members made publicly available by the House authorities, for the purpose of parliamentary business.

Delegations

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Prime Minister what changes have been made in the composition of the United Kingdom Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Assembly of the Western European Union.

Tony Blair: My hon. Friend the Member for Reading, East (Jane Griffiths) has been appointed as a substitute Member in place of my hon. Friend the Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Janet Anderson).

Resignation

George Osborne: To ask the Prime Minister on what day the hon. Member for Swindon, North offered his resignation as Parliamentary Secretary in the Lord Chancellor's Department; and on what day the hon. Member for Swindon, North was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Home Office.

Tony Blair: The hon. Member for Swindon, North offered his resignation as Parliamentary Secretary in the Lord Chancellor's Department on 29 May. He was appointed as an unpaid Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Home Office on 31 May.
	He will be responsible for driving forward progress on delivering efficient and effective IT across the civil and criminal justice systems and identifying and driving forward the reform to business processes and working practices required, alongside IT investment, to deliver a modern and joined-up criminal justice system.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Trading Schemes Act

Anne Begg: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many prosecutions have been brought under the Trading Schemes Act 1996; and how many have been successful.

Melanie Johnson: No prosecutions have been brought by the Department under the Trading Schemes Act 1996.

European Structural Funds

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of the estimate of the draw down of European structural funds.

Alan Johnson: The latest assessment for the core 2000–06 structural funds programmes is set out in the table.
	The objective 1 regions are on course to avoid decommitment. As the first decommitment date for objective 2 regions is 31 December 2003, it is too early to say whether the n+2 targets will be met. However we have instigated a regular monitoring procedure to ensure that there is ample warning of any potential problem.
	Objectives 1 and 2 in Scotland and Wales are matters respectively for the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales. However, I understand that the relevant figures have been provided by these Administrations.
	
		£ million 
		
			 Area Committed grant Committed grant as percentage of total allocation Grant paid Grant paid as percentage of total allocation 
		
		
			  Objective 1 
			 South Yorkshire 226.35 31.92 59.05 8.33 
			 Merseyside 184.5 21.86 93.8 11.11 
			 Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 96.3 30.95 26.09 8.39 
			 West Wales and the Valleys 320.2 28.1 89.0 7.8 
			  
			  Objective 2 
			 North-east 8.02 1.8 0.22 0.05 
			 North-west 212.82 42.1 0.55 0.11 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 63.24 19.5 2.66 0.82 
			 East England 3.29 3.4 0 0 
			 East Midlands 20.69 8.8 0.54 0.23 
			 West Midlands 30.82 5.8 0.04 0.01 
			 London 33.24 20.5 1.90 1.17 
			 South-east 7.33 32.8 0 0 
			 South-west 19.22 16.2 2.24 1.89 
			 East Wales(3),(4) 1.70 3.4 0.19 0.38 
			 East of Scotland 50.31 32.9 5.67 3.71 
			 South of Scotland (4)18.83 42.0 (5)2.54 5.66 
			 Western Scotland 42.13 14.3 1.95 0.66 
		
	
	(3) The East Wales figures apply solely to the objective 2 programme and do not include figures from the associated transitional objective 2 and 5b programme.
	(4) As at 31 March 2002
	(5) To 31 December 2001

Minimum Wage

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people aged (a) between 18 and 21 and (b) over 21 years are receiving the national minimum wage; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: Around 1.5 million low paid workers were entitled to higher minimum rates of pay when the rates were increased to £4.10 an hour for workers aged 22 and over and £3.50 for those aged 18 to 21 on 1 October 2001. Around one in 15 of the beneficiaries are people aged 18 to 21.

Minimum Wage

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many families are in receipt of the national minimum wage in the Portsmouth, South constituency; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: Estimates for beneficiaries of the national minimum wage by parliamentary constituency are not available.
	Around 100,000 people in the south-east stood to benefit from the October 2001 increase in the national minimum wage.

Arms Exports

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions her Department has had with the Department for International Development about reviewing criterion 8 of the consolidated criteria against which the Government assesses licence applications to export arms and dual-use equipment.

Nigel Griffiths: holding answer 19 June 2002
	As announced by my noble Friend the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 4 March 2002 in another place, Official Report, column 73, the Cabinet Office is currently leading a discussion on how criterion 8 of the consolidated criteria—the sustainable development criterion—can most effectively be applied in assessing relevant export licence applications.
	This discussion involves all Government Departments with an interest, not just the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for International Development, and addresses the need for clearer procedures for reaching decisions where sustainable development is an issue, rather than any change in policy with regard to criterion 8 of the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria.

Privatised Utilities

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what responsibility she has for setting Government policy with regard to the independence of the economic regulators of the privatised utilities.

Brian Wilson: holding answer 17 June 2002
	The composition, role, duties and responsibilities of the sectoral regulators are set out in the relevant primary legislation. The legislation typically ascribes certain duties and functions to the Secretary of State including, for example, the making of appointments to the regulatory bodies. The Department deals with the regulators for the gas, electricity, telecommunications, and postal services sectors.

UK Online (Disabled People)

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what checks are made to ensure organisations funded through UK online give access to people with a disability.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	People with disabilities were identified as one of main target groups for UK online centres and disabled access in centres was an important measure in the assessment process. This was carried through in the monitoring checks that the regional Government Offices (GOs) administer to ensure centres comply with contractual and legal obligations. The number of monitoring checks by the GOs will vary in relation to the individual centre.

National Insurance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the need to review the tax system in regard to national insurance contributions lost owing to false self-employment claims on CIS4 tax certificates; and if she will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	I would like to clarify the relationship between the CIS and employment status. The CIS sets out how payments to self-employed sub-contractors should be treated.
	As in all industries, whether a worker is categorised as employed or self-employed depends entirely on the terms and conditions under which they are engaged. The fact that a worker is registered under the CIS and is in possession of a certificate or registration card does not of itself confer self-employed status on that individual. It is entirely possible for workers to be employed on one contract, and self-employed on another.

National Insurance

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures are being taken to address organised avoidance of national insurance payments through false claims on CIS4 tax certificates; and if she will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) sets out how payments to self-employed sub-contractors should be treated. It is anti-tax evasion legislation and it has successfully identified workers who had previously not declared their earnings to the Inland Revenue.
	Where a person works as a sub-contractor on a contract to which the CIS applies, they must register with the Inland Revenue. Where a sub-contractor does not qualify for a certificate allowing him/her to be paid gross, they will receive a CIS4 registration card. They will then be paid for work done after a deduction on account of tax and national insurance.
	The tax and national insurance rules, which distinguish the employed from the self-employed, are intended to apply to all workers. As part of its compliance strategy the Inland Revenue's local employer compliance review teams consider employment status issues when undertaking reviews to ensure employers and contractors comply with their tax and national insurance obligations.

Haulage Industry

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what impact the use of illegally produced fuel is having on competitiveness within the UK haulage industry.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	As part of Customs' consultation on proposals for tackling oils fraud, the industry was invited to comment upon, and quantify, the impact on competitiveness resulting from the unfair advantage gained by those misusing rebated fuel. Although the responses clearly indicated an impact, no quantification was provided. Copies of the consultation document "Tackling the misuse of rebated fuels: Proposals for an approval scheme for distributors" and the response "Oils Fraud Strategy: Summary of Consultation Responses and Regulatory Impact Assessment" have been placed in the House Libraries.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Committee Mandates

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on Specialist Products is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Advisory Committee on Specialist Products is a consultative committee of the European Commission. Its purpose is to facilitate consultation with social and occupational groups with an interest in the EU regimes for wine-growing, spirit drinks, olives and derived products, beekeeping, hops and tobacco. It is not attended by officials of Her Majesty's Government and does not give rise to costs to the UK public funds.

Committee Mandates

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on Arable Crops is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Advisory Committee on Arable Crops is a consultative committee of the European Commission. Its purpose is to facilitate consultation with social and occupational groups with an interest in the EU regimes for arable crops. It is not attended by officials of Her Majesty's Government and does not give rise to costs to UK public funds.

Committee Mandates

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Scientific Committee on Plants is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The mandate for the Scientific Committee on Plants is as follows:
	"Scientific and technical questions relating to plants intended for human or animal consumption, production or processing of non-food products as regards characteristics liable to affect human or animal health or the environment, including the use of pesticides". The SCP is particularly concerned with scientific evaluation relating to genetically modified organisms and pesticides.
	The committee has met seven times since the beginning of June 2001.
	Experts from the UK are currently Prof. Anthony R. Hardy (chairman), Central Science Laboratory; Prof. Howard V. Davies, Scottish Crop Research Institute; and Dr. Tom Sherratt (University of Durham). There are also a number of expert working groups under the SCP to which ad hoc experts are invited to contribute as appropriate.
	The UK does not contribute directly to the costs of the SCP. I have no information on the annual cost of the committee to the European Commission.
	The items currently under the SCP's consideration can be viewed on its website at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/ food/fs/sc/scp/index—en.html.
	The committee is currently accountable through the European Commission (administered by the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General) through to the European Council and Parliament. Regulation 178/2002 established the European Food Safety Authority and later this year this committee's responsibilities will be transferred to two new panels (the Panel on Plant Health, Plant Production Products and their Residues, and the Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms) operating within the authority. Members of the new panels will remain to be appointed in an independent role and for their individual expertise.
	The SCP's agendas and outcome of its discussions (opinions and minutes) are available on its website.

Committee Mandates

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on Fruit, Vegetables and Flowers is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Advisory Committee on Fruit, Vegetables and Flowers is a consultative committee of the European Commission. Its purpose is to facilitate consultation with social and occupational groups with an interest in the EU regimes for fruit, vegetables and flowers. It is not attended by officials of Her Majesty's Government and does not give rise to costs to UK public funds.

Committee Mandates

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Scientific Committee on Designations of Origin, Geographical Indications and Certificates of Specific Character is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The mandate of the Scientific Committee Designations of Origin, Geographical Indications and Certificates of Specific Character is set out in Commission Decision 95/53/EEC. The committee exists to provide expert advice to assist the European Commission in its consideration of applications concerning the registration of designations of origin, geographical indications and certificates of specific character.
	There is no UK representation on the Scientific Committee. While one member of the current committee is British, he does not sit as a UK national, but is, like all the members, a qualified expert with a legal or agricultural background. The commission pays the travel and lodging costs of members. The Scientific Committee has met four times over the last 12-month period although in some previous years it has met more frequently than this. Items currently under its consideration are 'Galician mussels', 'traditional grass-fed red poll beef' and an Italian milk product from the Apennines.
	Regarding transparency and accountability, the commission, together with member states, is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to
	"simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the commission". As an obligation to this decision, the commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees, including the Scientific Committee. The first report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 26 February (Com (2001) 783 Final). As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be available through its website.

Committee Mandates

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on the Protection of Animals used for Experimental and other Scientific Purposes is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: I have been asked to reply.
	Article 22 (3) of European Directive 86/609/EEC (on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes) provides for the commission to establish
	"a permanent consultative committee within which the member states would be represented, which will assist the Commission in organising the exchange of appropriate information, while respecting the requirements of confidentiality, and which will also assist the Commission in the other questions raised by the application of this directive." The Commission made a decision on 9 February 1990 (90/67/EEC) for setting up the Advisory Committee on the Protection of Animals for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes under article 22 of the directive, including provision for representation and working methods. However, the committee has never been established. The Commission has recently made a recommendation for the directive to be revised. In its initial comments on what amendments might be considered, the United Kingdom has suggested that the Commission should consider either dispensing with or establishing the Advisory Committee.

World Food Summit

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons she did not attend the World Food Summit in Rome; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 June 2002
	My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Rural Affairs (Alun Michael) represented this Department at the World Food Summit. Although the summit was primarily concerned with international development issues which go beyond DEFRA's responsibilities, my right hon. Friend's attendance reflects the importance we attach to the role of trade and rural development in alleviating poverty and hunger.

Farming Research (Developing World)

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent by her Department on research into (a) all forms of farming and (b) local-based farming initiatives in the developing world in each of the last 10 years.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 June 2002
	(a) The Department's total research and development expenditure spent in this area for each of the last 10 years is as follows:
	
		£ million 
		
			  Expenditure 
		
		
			 1991–92 87.7 
			 1992–93 95.0 
			 1993–94 97.0 
			 1994–95 99.2 
			 1995–96 102.6 
			 1996–97 99.9 
			 1997–98 98.8 
			 1998–99 101.7 
			 1999–2000 97.3 
			 2000–01 107.0 
			 2001–02(6) — 
		
	
	(6) Figures for 2001–02 are not yet available.
	(b) Expenditure on farming in the developing world is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development, whose Department (DFID) has provided the following information.
	DFID funds agricultural research aimed at the needs of the poor in developing countries who depend for their livelihoods on natural resources. Separate data are not maintained of the sums spent on research for locally based farming initiatives though much of this work is undertaken directly with resource-poor farming communities. Bilateral spending on research in agriculture, forestry and fishing in the last 10 years was:
	
		£ million 
		
			  Expenditure 
		
		
			 1991–92 29.3 
			 1992–93 33.7 
			 1993–94 32.8 
			 1994–95 39.1 
			 1995–96 31.0 
			 1996–97 26.2 
			 1997–98 24.8 
			 1998–99 28.3 
			 1999–2000 30.8 
			 2000–01 32.2 
		
	
	DFID also made the following multilateral contributions to international agricultural research organisations which contribute to the elimination of hunger and poverty in developing countries:
	
		£ million 
		
			  Expenditure 
		
		
			 1991–92 8.7 
			 1992–93 8.7 
			 1993–94 7.8 
			 1994–95 8.4 
			 1995–96 8.5 
			 1996–97 7.7 
			 1997–98 5.8 
			 1998–99 7.8 
			 1999–2000 10.1 
			 2000–01 10.9

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library a record of the priority scores given to each countryside stewardship scheme approved in the past five years.

Elliot Morley: Details of the scores for each of the approximately 8,500 Countryside Stewardship Scheme applications approved over the last five years could not be provided without disproportionate cost.

Bali Conference

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the outcome of the recent ministerial conference in Bali.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 17 June 2002
	The fourth Preparatory Committee meeting for the World Summit on Sustainable Development gives us a basis for the final run up to Johannesburg. Progress was made on a programme of action, which includes the importance of sanitation in eradicating poverty and meeting the Millennium Development Goal on safe drinking water. Broad agreement was also reached on key issues such as the urgent need to restore fish stocks and address illegal fishing, and on the important role non-governmental actors can play in achieving sustainable development. The meeting also recognised the need for a strong focus on Africa.
	Other difficult issues remain outstanding, such as how the summit can address trade and finance issues to complement the Monterrey Consensus and the Doha Development Agenda. There are also specific targets on sanitation, biodiversity loss and energy, which have yet to be agreed. The UK will continue to work constructively with partners to ensure a successful outcome for Johannesburg, including concrete actions and coherent work programmes on energy, water and sustainable patterns of consumption and production.

Waste Management

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when her Department's 2000 to 2002 Municipal Waste Management Survey will be published.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 18 June 2002
	Provisional results from the Municipal Waste Management Survey for the 2000–01 financial year were published on 16 April 2002. Final results will be published during the late summer of 2002.
	The 2001–02 Municipal Waste Management Survey has not yet been carried out. However, results are expected to be available during 2003, following a timetable similar to that for the 2000–01 survey.

Seeds (National List of Varieties) Regulations

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Seeds (National List of Varieties) Regulations; and what plans she has to amend them.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 18 June 2002
	Changes to the Seeds (National Lists of Varieties) Regulations 2001 will be needed in the near future to amend references to EC seeds marketing directives which are currently being codified by the Council of the European Union, and other minor matters.
	In reply to a parliamentary question on 28 November 2000, the Government also made it clear that the arrangements for requesting a hearing on proposed national list decisions would be reviewed during the Chardon LL hearing, in order to consider whether the current arrangements were satisfactory for all parties. The Chardon LL hearing closed on 13 June and it remains the Government's intention to review how those arrangements have worked. If changes are proposed, all interested parties will be consulted in the normal way.

Organic Stewardship Scheme

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what investigation is under way in her Department to examine how an organic stewardship scheme might be introduced.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 19 June 2002
	The issue of ongoing support for organic farmers is being taken forward as part of the follow up to the report of the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food. This is one of the issues under consideration in the stakeholder group drawing up the organic farming and food action plan.

Bovine TB

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her counterparts in New Zealand and Australia on the subject of bovine TB.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 19 June 2002
	DEFRA, and its predecessor MAFF, has a long history of collaboration with the animal health departments in New Zealand and Australia. In 1999 the veterinary head of the endemic animal diseases and zoonoses section of the state veterinary service carried out a fact finding visit to New Zealand to investigate the control of bovine tuberculosis there, and our veterinary service has received several visits from veterinarians from New Zealand and Australia. In addition, our tuberculosis vaccine research programme is being carried out by the veterinary laboratory agency which is working in collaboration with researchers from New Zealand.

Bovine TB

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research her Department has undertaken into the effect of production announcers given to cattle on the development of bovine tuberculosis.

Elliot Morley: I believe the hon. Member is referring to production enhancers, such as anabolic steroid growth promoters and bovine somatatrophin lactation enhancer, rather than production announcers. As these products are not licensed for use in cattle in the UK, DEFRA has not carried out research into the effects that they might have on the development of bovine tuberculosis.

Bovine TB

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many confirmed cases of bovine TB have been recorded in (a) Scotland and (b) Dumfries and Galloway region in each of the last 12 months.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 June 2002
	The information requested is not available in the format requested, in that county figures are not available for 2002. In 2001 there was one herd affected by a new confirmed incident of bovine TB in Scotland. There were none in Dumfriesshire. Raw data for January to April 2002 indicate seven confirmed new TB incidents in Scotland.

Carcase Disposal

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will derogate from the EC directive on carcase disposal in respect of farms in Dumfries and Galloway.

Elliot Morley: No. The EU animal by-products regulation will permit member states to derogate from the regulation to permit the burial or burning of fallen stock in defined remote areas. Although this is a matter for Scottish Ministers in Scotland, all agriculture Ministers in the UK consider the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to be the only areas which can be considered to be remote within the terms of the regulation.

Carcase Disposal

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to change the rules for farmers disposing of fallen stock.

Elliot Morley: New EU rules (the Animal By-Products Regulation) will prohibit the routine burning or burial of fallen stock, except in defined remote areas, and will specify standards for incinerators which are used to dispose of fallen stock.

Carcase Disposal

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the EC Animal By-Products Regulation 2000/0259 to be implemented.

Elliot Morley: We expect the EU Animal By-Products Regulation to be adopted in September 2002 and to apply in member states seven to eight months later.

Illegal Meat Imports

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when her Department will conclude its examination of the potential benefits of using X-ray equipment to scan for illegal meat imports.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 13 June 2002
	We are still in the process of assessing the X-ray equipment already in use by HMCE and will be discussing with other countries their experiences with particular technologies.

Flood Insurance

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will take steps to assist householders to find insurance cover for properties affected by flooding;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has held with the Association of British Insurers regarding insurance cover for those affected by flooding;
	(3)  what estimate her Department has made of the impact on householders of the withdrawal of flood insurance cover.

Huw Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what agreement exists for the present year with the Association of British Insurers about maintaining insurance cover for households in areas at risk of flooding;
	(2)  what representations she has received about the decision by Esure to stop providing flood insurance for households in areas at risk of flooding; and if she will discuss this with Esure.

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations the Government made to the insurance industry during and following the serious floods in 2000 to ensure that property insurance would continue to be available to owners and tenants of residential and commercial premises in areas at risk of flooding; what undertakings the insurance industry gave at that time; if she will respond to Esure's statement that insurers have decided to deny home insurance cover to prospective new clients in the 10 per cent. of postcodes most susceptible to flooding; and if she will make a statement about what steps the Government intend to take to ensure that property insurance remains available to all at a reasonable cost.

Elliot Morley: There is an agreement in place with the Association of British Insurers member companies that during 2002, other than in exceptional circumstances, they will continue to provide flood cover for domestic properties and small businesses which they currently insure. Cases where there is an alleged breach of this agreement will be investigated by the ABI.
	The insurance industry is a competitive one. Government have no plans to intervene in the market either generally or with individual companies. While recognising concern about the recent announcement by Esure, I understand their position to be that they will not provide cover to new clients in areas at risk of flooding. This decision is not a breach of the ABI agreement which relates only to renewal of existing policies. It is also my understanding that as a relatively newly formed company, Esure have few existing clients in the floodplain.
	While no formal assessment has been made, I am aware that there could be a significant impact if insurers were to withdraw cover for households and businesses at risk of flooding. The Government are therefore working hard with the industry to try to ensure the continued, widespread availability of affordable flood cover beyond the end of 2002. There have been regular meetings with the insurance industry, at both ministerial and official level, to consider their calls for increased investment in flood and coastal defence, controls on development in areas at risk of flooding, simplified arrangements for implementing flood defences and better information on real flood risk. I expect to meet again with the industry later in the summer.

Flood Insurance

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of insurance payouts made as a result of the floods of autumn 2000.

Elliot Morley: The Association of British Insurers (ABI) estimate that total insurance losses from weather-related damage in autumn 2000 were some £1.3 billion. This includes damages from both storms and flooding; the ABI do not have separate figures for flooding alone.

Flooding

Michael Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many properties in England are at risk from a 1 in 50 year flood event.

Elliot Morley: The information sought is not systematically collected in a consistent form though the Environment Agency have estimated that some 130,000 properties are at risk from a 1 in 50 year event. This is from a total of 1.8 million properties in the floodplain in England.
	The agency is currently preparing a strategy on future needs for data across flood defence, which will help inform its programme of floodplain mapping and risk assessment.

Fisheries

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions in the past year (a) UK fisheries enforcement officers have visited and inspected the enforcement regime of another EU fishing nation and (b) enforcement officials from other EU fishing nations have visited the UK to inspect the enforcement regime in the UK.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 June 2002
	The fisheries enforcement authorities in the UK, including the Royal Navy, have frequent contact with their counterparts in other member states on a wide range of monitoring, control and surveillance matters. Comprehensive records of such contacts are not maintained but in the year ending 31 March 2002 there were at least nine occasions when inspectors from the UK visited other member states and three occasions when inspectors from other member states visited the UK with the purpose of discussing or observing enforcement activity.

Fisheries

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the expected cut in the United Kingdom fishing fleet following the publication of the indicative figures contained within the European Commission's monthly published road map for the future reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 June 2002
	The Commission have made clear that they do not seek to impose cuts in fleet capacity on member states. Their figures, which detail fleet cuts by member states, are to be taken as purely illustrative. The scale of decommissioning in any individual member state will depend on the decisions taken by the council on measures to reduce fishing effort and on the decisions by fishermen in the light of the impact of these measures.

Foot and Mouth

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department is taking to prevent the import of foot and mouth disease from South Korea; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Korea is not authorised to export meat or animals to the European Union. DEFRA official veterinary advice is that there is no significant risk of travellers bringing foot and mouth disease back from Korea, provided rules on personal imports of animal products are observed.
	In relation to the World cup, the games are played a long distance from the outbreaks and we have issued advice to fans via the Football Association website to keep away from farms and to avoid bringing back animal products.
	The British consulate in Korea have placed similar advice on their website. Enforcement agencies were notified of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Korea and advised to be vigilant of passengers travelling back from Korea.

Foot and Mouth

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her officials have had with their South Korean counterparts about the spread of foot and mouth disease in that country; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: We have received timely, detailed information from Korea on their disease situation through the EU, the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) and direct from the Korean authorities. The foot and mouth disease outbreak in Korea was discussed at a recent bilateral meeting at the OIE General Assembly in Paris.

Foot and Mouth

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when her Department will finalise the analysis of the questionnaires completed by foreign veterinary surgeons who assisted in the eradication of foot and mouth disease; and if she will place the analysis in the Library.

Elliot Morley: Due to other priorities, it has not yet proved possible to finalise the analysis of the questionnaires completed by those foreign veterinary surgeons who assisted in the eradication of foot and mouth disease.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list, on a county basis, the weekly laboratory test results for foot and mouth disease on infected premises, broken down by (a) negative, (b) antibody positive and (c) virus positive results; and how many infected premises in each county were not the subject of laboratory tests.

Elliot Morley: The information requested is given in tables which have been placed in the Library.
	For the samples that returned positive and negative results, premises have been attributed to the week in which samples were received at the laboratory.
	Information regarding whether a result was antibody positive or virus positive cannot easily be obtained. Therefore the figures simply report that a positive result returned.
	Source:
	DEFRA's Disease Control System (DCS) database as at 11 June 2002. Data may be subject to revision as more information becomes available and as the data within DCS is validated.

Foot and Mouth

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to reduce the possibility of a further outbreak of foot and mouth disease; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: We are taking a number of steps to reduce the possibility of a further outbreak of foot and mouth disease through initiatives covering prevention; disease surveillance and contingency planning.
	On 28 March the Government launched an action plan to reduce the risk of plant and animal disease entering the country illegally and threatening our agricultural and horticultural industries. A copy of the action plan can be found in the House Libraries. As recommended by the Policy Commission on Food and Farming, the action plan commits the Government to undertake a risk assessment of the threat posed by contaminated illegal meat imports. This is well under way and due to report in the autumn. The information provided by the risk assessment will help inform decisions about the nature of risks from imports so that resources can be efficiently targeted. Along side the risk assessment, work is being carried out to improve publicity and raise awareness of the risks posed by personal imports. Other work is concerned with improving detection and a pilot detector dog scheme will be operational later in the year.
	We attach great importance to veterinary surveillance for the early detection of new or exotic diseases/ infections, including foot and mouth disease. Work on a strategy to enhance veterinary surveillance was curtailed last year because of the foot and mouth epidemic. This work has resumed and a strategy document is now in early draft form and will be issued for public consultation later this year.
	In the event of a future outbreak of foot and mouth disease our ability to quickly contain and eradicate the disease will be vital. DEFRA has already published an interim operational contingency plan to support the European Union approved strategic plan, veterinary instructions and local plans that already existed. This draws extensively on experience of the 2001 outbreak and DEFRA will develop this further to achieve better emergency preparedness, taking full account of the recommendations of the independent inquiries.
	Additionally, preventive measures introduced during the 2001 outbreak remain in force, for example the ban on feeding pigswill to livestock and the 20 day standstill on the movement of livestock.

WTO Agreement

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of introducing a development box into the World Trade Organisation agreement on agriculture; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 June 2002
	The creation of a development box would be one way of giving effect to the important Declaration made at Doha last year that special and differential treatment for developing countries must be an integral part of all elements of the WTO agriculture negotiations. Current proposals for such a box contain several elements, including provision for developing countries to reduce tariffs more slowly, extension of the safeguard mechanism and maintaining the flexibilities agreed in the Uruguay Round. We will actively consider these ideas in the negotiations.

Common Agricultural Policy

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the contribution made by the average UK family to the CAP by (a) contributions made through tax, (b) increases in prices and (c) other means in the last 12 months.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 June 2002
	Individuals in the UK contribute to the CAP as consumers through higher food prices and as taxpayers through CAP direct support payments.
	We estimate that, in 2000, a notional UK family of four paid £4-£5 per week in higher food prices as a result of the CAP. UK taxpayers do not contribute specifically to the CAP; rather they contribute to the EU budget as a whole. Total EU payments in 2000 were approximately £51 billion (euro 83 billion), of which around £25 billion (euro 40.5 billion) was spent under the CAP. The UK currently provides around 13.5 per cent. of total budgetary contributions.

Common Agricultural Policy

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much subsidy was received in the last 12 months per head of UK dairy cattle through the CAP.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 June 2002
	Market price support in the UK dairy sector was equivalent to around £900 million in 2000, the latest year for which data is available. In addition the dairy sector will have received a substantial share of the £260 million paid to livestock producers through the Over Thirty Month Scheme. The agricultural census undertaken in June 2000 records 2.3 million dairy cows in the UK.

Common Agricultural Policy

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of common agricultural policy funding went to UK farmers broken down by (a) under eight European size units, (b) eight to 39 ESUs, (c) 40 to 99 ESUs, (d) 100 to 199 ESUs and (e) 200 and over ESUs in the last 12 months.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 June 2002
	Exact data on payments under the CAP in the UK cannot be stratified according to the size of farm, e.g. in terms of European size units. The farm business survey provides estimates of direct subsidy receipts for the average farm in England. The latest estimates are given in the following table.
	
		All direct grants and subsidies(7), England 2000–01 -- £ per farm
		
			  All farm types 
		
		
			 8–39 ESU 10,200 
			 40–99 ESU 19,900 
			 100 and above ESU 46,300 
		
	
	(7) Average per farm
	The farm business survey excludes farms smaller than eight ESUs. These estimates include all grants and subsidies received, including some nationally funded schemes. They represent only direct payments to farmers. They do not include the additional support that farmers receive from the consumer, through CAP market support policies.

Organic Farming

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance she plans to give farmers converting to organic farming in 2003–04.

Elliot Morley: Under the England Rural Development Programme £22 million is budgeted for supporting organic conversion in 2003–04.

National Scrapie Plan

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the total costs under phase one of the national scrapie plan of (a) the identification and registration of rams, (b) the registration of farms, (c) the collection of blood samples and their dispatch to the laboratory, (d) the laboratory testing of blood samples to establish genotypes, and (e) certification.

Elliot Morley: Information is not available in the format requested. A major part of the costs under (a), (c) and (e) relates to the administrative costs of the state veterinary service, and a breakdown of the service's costs by those categories is not available. As regards (b), the national scrapie plan does not maintain a specific and separate register of farms.
	Expenditure on the genotyping schemes for both the registered and non-registered sectors which have already been launched under the national scrapie plan will depend on levels of uptake under what are voluntary schemes. Estimated annual expenditure is given in the table for different levels of assumed uptake. The figures exclude the administrative costs of the state veterinary service and IT costs.
	
		£ million 
		
			  Assuming 40 per cent. uptake Assuming 60 per cent. uptake Assuming 80 per cent. uptake 
		
		
			 Ram genotyping registered 4 6 8 
			 Ram genotyping non-registered 7 10 13 
			 Total 11 16 21 
			 Of which:
			 Laboratory genotyping costs 4.4 6.6 8.8 
			 Animal identification costs 1.5 2.2 2.9

National Scrapie Plan

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when she intends to consult farmers about phases 2 and 3 of the national scrapie plan;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on her proposals for the second and third phases of the national scrapie plan.

Elliot Morley: Action under the national scrapie plan is being rolled out in full consultation with the sheep industry and other stakeholders. The first phase of the plan commenced in July 2001 with the launch of the genotyping scheme for purebred registered flocks. A second genotyping scheme for purebred non-registered flocks was launched in January 2002, extending the national scrapie plan to all purebred sheep flocks. At that time we also announced that any flock that had had scrapie, regardless of whether or not it was a purebred flock, could join the existing plan.
	We are currently working on proposals for a specific scheme under the national scrapie plan to cover flocks that have had scrapie. Informal but detailed discussions on these proposals have already taken place with stakeholder representatives and we expect to publish proposals for formal public consultation later this year. We continue to involve all sheep industry stakeholder organisations—including the breed societies, farming unions and the National Sheep Association—as well as other stakeholders in all stages of our consultations. This will remain the case for any further schemes under the national scrapie plan.

National Scrapie Plan

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many sheep have so far been tested for scrapie under the sheep abattoir survey that began on 7 January; when she expects to meet her target of 20,000 tests; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 19 June 2002
	EU legislation (TSE Regulation 999/2001 as amended) required the UK to test 15,000 sheep aged over 18 months and destined for human consumption from 1 January 2002. In addition to this, a SEAC-recommended scientific survey was run concurrently which added an additional 5,000 animals to the abattoir survey.
	The European Commission extended the testing requirement from 1 April 2002 to 60,000 sheep aged over 18 months and destined for human consumption.
	As at 31 May 2002, 2,134 abattoir sheep had been tested. Results of the testing can be found on the DEFRA website at: http://defraweb/animalh/bse/index.html.

National Scrapie Plan

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many sheep have had to be destroyed since 1 January as a result of injuries sustained during testing for scrapie.

Elliot Morley: I understand the hon. Member is referring to the injuries resulting from the administration to sheep of the ruminal bolus used to identify sheep under the national scrapie plan. Since January 2002 some 93,000 sheep have been tested under the plan. Of these 36 have died or have had to be destroyed following problems with the administration of the bolus. Compensation has been (or is in the process of being) paid to the owners concerned.
	The losses are very regrettable and steps have been taken to address problems which sprang mainly from initial operator inexperience under a new scheme. Training of operators has been refined. As a result, the number of casualties has fallen significantly in recent months.

National Scrapie Plan

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is towards native breeds of sheep which have a low frequency of the ARR allele.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 13 June 2002
	Through its breeding schemes the national scrapie plan aims to increase genetic resistance to TSEs by increasing the prevalence of the ARR allele. At present participation in the plan is voluntary and it is only rams with the genotypes which are the most susceptible to TSEs (those carrying the VRQ allele) which must be culled or castrated by those farmers who choose to join. Other susceptible genotypes in participating flocks are to be phased out over time. It is clearly in the interest of sheep farmers to convert their flocks to a TSE-resistant basis as quickly as possible and it should be possible for the vast majority, if not all, of them to do so over a planned time scale. If there were any breeds where the existence of the ARR allele is absent or so low as to make this impossible, the Government would of course take that into account. We have initiated, as part of the national scrapie plan, a rare breeds survey to obtain better information on the distribution of genotypes in rare breeds.

Ram Genotyping Scheme

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many breeders have applied to take part in (a) the Ram Genotyping Scheme for Purebred Registered Flocks and (b) the Ram Genotyping Scheme for Purebred Non-Registered Flocks; how many blood sampling visits have taken place so far for each scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: As at 13 June, a total of 6,491 farmers had completed an expression of interest form in respect of the Ram Genotyping Scheme for Purebred Registered Flocks and 4,366 had applied to join the scheme. As at the same date, a total of 2,153 farmers had completed an expression of interest form in respect of the Ram Genotyping Scheme for Purebred Non-registered Flocks; application forms have not yet been issued under this scheme but that will happen shortly.
	As at 13 June, a total of 2,405 blood sampling visits had been completed in respect of the Ram Genotyping Scheme for Purebred Registered Flocks and a further 520 had been arranged. Sampling visits in respect of the Ram Genotyping Scheme for Purebred Non-registered Flocks will commence once application forms have been received from those who have expressed an interest in the scheme.
	The levels of uptake so far represent an encouraging start to the schemes and the Government are working with the industry to build further on this. The Government attach high importance to the National Scrapie Plan whose objective is to eradicate TSEs from the national sheep flock, thereby helping to ensure that the sheep industry provides a product that meets the high quality standards rightly expected by consumers.

Regional Offices

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she plans to change the number of her Department's regional offices.

Elliot Morley: The State Veterinary Service (SVS) proposes when resources become available, to realign its animal health divisional office boundaries to coincide with the boundaries of Government offices in order to improve disease emergency response capability. Although a bid has been made to allow the possibility of opening an additional regional office, this will be only one of the issues that may be considered in any accompanying review of the hierarchy of the SVS, and no final decisions have yet been taken.
	No other changes to the number of offices in DEFRA's regional structure are planned.

Shellfish Licensing

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to introduce shellfish licensing.

Elliot Morley: We are committed to introducing shellfish licensing and I am considering the timing and format of a scheme in the light of comments received in response to consultation.

Rural Payments Agency

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to pay interest to beef producers on beef support scheme payments that the Rural Payments Agency is unable to pay out by 30 June.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 13 June 2002
	The EU regulations do not provide for compensation where payments are made after the expiry of the regulatory payment window. Nor is it Government policy to make such payments. Notwithstanding that general position, the circumstances leading to the failure in some cases to meet the 30 June deadline for bovine payments is under review to identify whether there are any factors which would justify a departure from this position.

Hunting

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps she has taken to solicit views on the Government's proposals on hunting with dogs; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Following my statement to the House on 21 March I have written to all Members of both Houses of Parliament, to all members of the National Assembly for Wales and to interested organisations and individuals on 10 April and again on 31 May. I have placed these letters on the DEFRA website and sent copies of the letter of 31 May to everyone who responded to that of 10 April. I have also met delegations from the three main umbrella groups and a number of other organisations with a particular interest in the future of hunting. I am also considering other ways of examining evidence and enabling intelligent debate involving those whose views are strongly opposed.

Goats

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether goats are under the same classification as sheep for the purposes of SI No. 843.

Elliot Morley: TSE measures in relation to sheep and goats are set out in Regulation (EC) No. 999/2001, which came into force across the European Union on 1 July 2001. The TSE (England) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002 No. 843) provide the administration and enforcement powers needed to give effect to the directly applicable Community requirements in this country. Requirements for ovine and caprine animals—covering, for example, suspected and confirmed scrapie cases, compulsory testing and monitoring programmes and specified risk material—are clearly stated throughout the regulations.

GEO-3 Report

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evaluation she has made of the relevance of the United Nations Environment Programme's Global Environment Outlook-3 (GEO-3) report to the United Kingdom and overseas territories.

Michael Meacher: The GEO-3 report provides an authoritative assessment that informs our thinking on global sustainable development. Although it does not single out individual countries, it makes clear that action is required by all countries in the north and the south to reverse environmental degradation. The report is an unequivocal reminder that sustainable development rests on three pillars—economic, social and environmental. It highlights the need for action in key areas, such as biodiversity, climate change, forests and oceans. The UK Government takes the problems identified by the report extremely seriously and is taking appropriate action including;
	Taking the lead in tackling climate change at the national and international level. Through our Climate Change Programme we aim to increase the amount of energy generated from renewable sources, and work with industries to cut emissions and boost efficiency.
	Taking significant steps to conserve, and sustainable use, biodiversity in the UK and overseas.
	Taking significant steps to achieve sustainable forest management in the UK and assist others to do so abroad.
	Providing extra protection for marine species and habitats under threat. We are promoting the case for marine protected areas on the high seas and are conducting an integrated assessment of the state of our seas.
	The World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) in August-September is a valuable opportunity to address many of these issues and the UK Government is working hard internationally, with partners, to help make the summit a success.

Contaminated Land

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of (a) the value and (b) the acreage of contaminated land.

Michael Meacher: The Environment Agency has estimated that there may be some 300,000 hectares of land in the UK affected to some extent by industrial or natural contamination. However, much of this contamination will be relatively minor. It is not possible to estimate the value of this land because the total is not derived from an assessment of individual sites and value depends on site-specific factors such as land use or planning permissions.
	Under Part IIA ("contaminated land") of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities are under a statutory duty to inspect their areas to identify contaminated land as defined in the Act. Broadly speaking, this is land which poses an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment in its current circumstances. This is an ongoing duty, which came into effect in April 2000 in England and more recently in Wales. It involves detailed risk assessments and determinations on a site-specific basis. The regime is described in DETR Circular 02/2000, "Contaminated Land". The Environment Agency will include data in its periodic State of Contaminated Land reports, the first of which for England is due to be completed this summer. I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Library.

EU LIFE Programme

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the success of the EU LIFE Programme.

Michael Meacher: The EC LIFE programme provides co-financing for actions both in nature conservation (LIFE-Nature) and in other fields of the environment (LIFE-Environment), as well as specific environmental actions outside the EU (LIFE Third Countries). The European Commission is responsible for implementing the LIFE programme.
	My Department has been fully involved in the assessment currently being carried out by the Court of Auditors on the LIFE programme. The Commission are required (under Article 12 of Regulation EC 1655–2000 of the European Parliament and the Council concerning LIFE) to produce a report on the implementation of the LIFE Regulation, including the programme's contribution to the development of Community environment policy, by 30 September 2003.
	In the UK, the LIFE fund has provided significant financial assistance to a number of projects under both the LIFE-Nature and LIFE-Environment components. Between 1992 and 2000, the UK has secured 92 LIFE- Environment projects, receiving around 49 million co-funding (approximately £30 million). Over the same period, 30 LIFE-Nature projects have been supported with co-funding amounting to over 30 million (approximately £18.5 million).
	The European Commission has just published the document 'Life after LIFE', which sets out a number of LIFE-Nature project case studies and provides an illustration of some of the longer-term results of LIFE-Nature funding. A copy of this will be placed in the House Library.

Food Standards Agency

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had regarding the continuation of financial assistance to the Food Standards Agency to enable the agency to reduce meat inspection changes for small and medium meat plants after 31 March 2004; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 17 June 2002
	Responsibility for the MHS, the Executive Agency responsible for the enforcement of meat hygiene legislation, was transferred from MAFF to the Food Standards Agency when the Food Standards Agency was created on 1 April 2000. Funding transfers were made at the same time.
	In 2001 the Government reduced charges to small and medium sized plants, as recommended in the Maclean review. This resulted in a loss of income to the MHS. The then MAFF, and the devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales, as industry sponsors, contributed towards the cost of this change through baseline funding transfers to the Food Standards Agency.
	Responsibility for this issue has therefore passed to the Food Standards Agency, although DEFRA will continue to be consulted, as industry sponsors, on the FSA's proposed charges for future years. I understand the FSA has not made proposals for future charges beyond the present financial year.

Certified Timber

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the refurbishment projects that (a) are in progress and (b) will start within the next six months; and what action is being taken to ensure that these will procure certified timber.

Elliot Morley: DEFRA has the following refurbishment projects valued in excess of £250,000 that:
	(a) are in progress
	9 Millbank—upper floors
	Noble House—print room;
	(b) will start within the next six months
	Nobel House—upper floors
	3–8 Whitehall Place.
	DEFRA is reviewing these contracts and processes to ensure that it is procuring timber in accordance with the answer given to Mr. Burgon on 28 July 2000, Official Report, column 948W.

Bank Branch Closures

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect on the rural economy of the closure of rural branches by the major clearing banks.

Alun Michael: Whereas the closure of branches of the major clearing banks in rural areas can sometimes lead to inconvenience for those who cannot easily travel to the nearest town, there are more rural post offices than rural branches of all the banks combined. Post offices are therefore well placed to provide banking services, and access to banking in rural areas is improving as more banks turn to the Post Office to provide their customers with convenient access. The Government are strongly supporting the Post Office in its plans to help reduce financial exclusion through innovative banking schemes and has made clear that it is prepared to provide funding for 'universal banking' on the basis of a robust business case.

Common Fisheries Policy

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent meetings she has had with the Scottish Executive to discuss the common fisheries policy; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Officials from here who deal with the common fisheries policy maintain frequent contact with their opposite numbers in the Scottish Executive. My most recent meetings with Ross Finnie, Minister for Environment and Rural Development in the Scottish Executive, to discuss the Commission's proposals for the reform of the CFP were on 6 and 10 June.

Live Animal Transportation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many animals were (a) found dead, (b) identified as unfit to continue their journey and (c) removed from vehicles for other reasons at UK ports in each of the last five years; and what species were involved.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 13 June 2002
	This information is available only from 1999 for consignments of slaughter and fattening animals through Dover port. The following figures are for sheep only unless otherwise indicated.
	
		
			  Number dead Number unfit Number removed for other reasons 
		
		
			 1999 15 82 160 
			 2000 (8)23 29 97 
			 2001 5 5 3 
		
	
	(8) Figure includes one pig

Clean Water and Sanitation

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations her Department will make to (a) the US, (b) Australia, (c) Canada and (d) Japan on clean water and sanitation before the UN's World summit on sustainable development in September.

Michael Meacher: The Department will take every opportunity, at both ministerial and official levels, through bilateral and multilateral contacts with these countries to confirm safe water targets and agree sanitation targets for the World summit.

Nuclear Waste

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role Nirex plays in the management of plutonium as a nuclear waste.

Brian Wilson: I have been asked to reply.
	Nirex provides advice to the producers of radioactive waste on the packaging of any trace plutonium present in intermediate level waste.

Anderson Report

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  when she expects to receive the report of Sir Iain Anderson's Lessons Learned inquiry;
	(2)  when she expects to receive the report of the Royal Society inquiry into infectious diseases in livestock.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 19 June 2002
	The report of the Royal Society's inquiry into infectious diseases in livestock is currently expected to be published on 16 July, and that of Dr. Iain Anderson's Lessons Learned inquiry on 18 July.

Waste Incineration Directive

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action the Government are taking to implement the Waste Incineration Directive; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: My Department has today published a consultation paper that sets out how the Government intend to implement EC Directive 2000/76/EC on the incineration of waste. It is aimed at operators of incineration and co-incineration plant, regulators, waste producers and waste managers, all of whom will be affected by the implementation of that directive. It is also aimed at waste and environmental interest groups who have an interest in environmentally sound regulation.
	The consultation raises a number of issues for consultation and includes a copy of the draft implementing regulations, directions to regulators and an explanatory commentary.
	This consultation is solely about the mechanism to implement the tight controls on emissions from incinerators to which the UK has signed up throughout the passage of the Waste Incineration Directive. These controls embody what was already accepted and largely applied in the UK as good practice. This consultation is not about the place of incineration in waste management strategies. It is about ensuring that incinerators continue to be tightly regulated.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Fire Service

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of firefighting staff were women in each of the last five years, in each fire service.

Nick Raynsford: All fire services in England and Wales are required to provide annually to Her Majesty's fire service inspectorate statistical information about personnel employed, analysed by gender and ethnic origin. The table provides the percentage of the total number of firefighters in each fire service who are female (whole time and retained services combined), based on the statistical returns for the years 31 March 1997 to 31 March 2001.
	
		Percentage of firefighters in post at 31 March 1997 to 31 March 2001—female -- Per cent.
		
			  1997(9) 1998(9) 1999(9) 2000(9) 2001(9) 
		
		
			 Avon 1.04 1.05 1.16 1.16 1.13 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton 2.22 2.91 3.14 2.78 3.23 
			 Buckinghamshire 3.85 2.40 1.79 3.00 1.83 
			 Cambridgeshire 1.98 1.60 1.59 1.91 1.70 
			 Cheshire 0.86 0.74 0.62 0.49 0.62 
			 Cleveland 0.14 0.00 0.00 0.15 0.00 
			 Cornwall 0.34 0.34 0.66 0.83 0.81 
			 County Durham and Darlington 0.53 0.72 0.71 0.54 1.08 
			 Cumbria 0.70 0.70 0.97 1.12 1.41 
			 Derbyshire 1.16 1.53 1.56 1.85 2.04 
			 Devon 0.99 1.62 1.88 1.89 1.73 
			 Dorset 0.47 0.47 0.47 1.11 1.75 
			 East Sussex 1.61 1.50 1.61 1.65 2.37 
			 Essex 0.29 0.29 0.36 0.36 0.79 
			 Gloucestershire 1.57 1.41 2.76 3.09 3.88 
			 Greater Manchester(10) 0.13 0.14 0.09 0.09 0.14 
			 Hampshire 0.68 0.81 0.89 1.36 1.59 
			 Hereford and Worcester 1.61 0.58 1.34 1.44 2.25 
			 Hertfordshire 0.60 0.71 0.73 1.18 0.85 
			 Humberside 0.70 0.68 0.68 0.88 1.04 
			 Isle of Wight 1.36 1.34 1.40 1.35 1.85 
			 Isles of Scilly 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.27 0.00 
			 Kent 0.30 0.41 0.83 1.28 1.52 
			 Lancashire 0.81 0.95 0.99 1.07 1.30 
			 Leicestershire 0.70 0.69 0.99 1.11 1.23 
			 Lincolnshire 2.23 2.98 1.96 2.35 2.23 
			 London 1.01 1.04 1.14 1.16 1.23 
			 Merseyside 0.13 0.27 0.27 0.35 0.37 
			 Mid and West Wales 0.78 1.04 1.02 1.01 1.76 
			 Norfolk 0.97 1.10 0.82 1.08 1.46 
			 North Wales 0.96 0.96 1.10 1.90 1.60 
			 North Yorkshire 1.49 1.38 2.16 2.47 2.61 
			 Northamptonshire 1.38 1.35 1.36 1.55 1.55 
			 Northumberland 0.79 0.77 1.33 1.79 2.28 
			 Nottinghamshire 0.65 0.67 1.52 1.41 1.40 
			 Oxfordshire 2.45 3.16 3.93 4.24 3.94 
			 Royal Berkshire 0.85 1.19 1.20 1.05 0.88 
			 Shropshire 1.26 1.48 1.04 1.00 1.21 
			 Somerset 0.37 0.37 0.74 0.73 1.25 
			 South Wales 0.45 0.50 0.58 0.71 0.70 
			 South Yorkshire 0.10 0.41 0.62 1.42 1.52 
			 Staffordshire 1.92 2.03 1.65 1.99 2.47 
			 Suffolk 0.88 0.90 1.22 1.40 1.99 
			 Surrey 1.28 1.50 1.94 2.14 2.14 
			 Tyne and Wear 0.00 0.10 0.10 0.38 0.68 
			 Warwickshire 1.18 1.44 1.50 1.93 2.77 
			 West Midlands 0.39 0.34 0.39 0.54 1.18 
			 West Sussex 1.21 1.25 2.14 2.79 3.04 
			 West Yorkshire 0.36 0.47 0.47 0.49 0.43 
			 Wiltshire 1.13 1.31 1.32 1.50 1.79 
			 Average 0.84 0.90 1.04 1.22 1.39 
		
	
	(9) As at 31 March
	(10) Two firefighters are excluded from the 31 March 2001 percentage as their gender was not known.

Departmental Website

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will complete his departmental website; what steps is he taking to meet the Government's e-commerce targets; and what his target is for answering correspondence with ministers.

Christopher Leslie: Following the machinery of government changes, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) has developed an interim website to ensure ongoing access to the Department's material. The website will be developed further over the next few months.
	Our approach to meeting the Government's e-commerce and e-government related objectives is set out in the e-business strategies prepared by the former DTLR and the Cabinet Office, from which the Deputy Prime Minister inherited his responsibilities. The Department is now focusing on delivery of the strategy, a recent example being the planning portal, which will link users of the planning system to a wide range of advice, guidance and services on planning and related topics.
	We have also published for consultation a draft national strategy (e.gov@local: towards a national strategy for local e-government) that seeks to clarify a common and ambitious vision of local e-government. This includes £350 million (over three years from 2001–02) of investment to promote its delivery in local government.
	On the ODPM's targets for answering correspondence, the Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the volume of Members' correspondence received by Departments. For information for 2001, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, South (Mr. Clarke) on Friday 24 May 2002, Official Report, columns 674–76W.

Departmental Re-organisation

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  when he expects to announce specific ministerial responsibilities within his Department;
	(2)  how many staff are allocated to each of his responsibilities; and how many of these will be newly recruited;
	(3)  if he will list his Office's targets and estimate when he expects each of them to be met;
	(4)  if he will list the (a) special advisers and (b) press officers his Department employs; and how many more he plans to recruit;
	(5)  what the estimated cost is of re-organising his Department, broken down into (a) re-naming, (b) property refurbishment and (c) other matters.

John Prescott: I lead an enlarged Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) at the centre of Government separated off from the Cabinet Office.
	I am supported by: three Ministers of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford), my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche), and my Noble Friend the right hon. Lord Rooker; two Parliamentary Under- Secretaries of State, my hon. Friends the Members for Shipley (Mr. Leslie), and Harrow, East (Mr. McNulty). Mavis McDonald CB has been appointed Permanent Secretary.
	As First Secretary of State, I will continue to deputise for the Prime Minister across the range of his responsibilities at home and abroad, and to chair a number of Cabinet committees and sub-committees. I will also continue to carry ministerial responsibility for the British Irish Council and the Joint Ministerial Committee.
	The ODPM already contained the Social Exclusion Unit, the Regional Co-ordination Unit and the Government Offices for the Regions. The Office has now been expanded to include regional policy, local government, local government finance, planning, housing, urban policy, the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, the Fire Service and a number of executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies. Once the refurbishment is completed, the ODPM will be located at Ripley Court, Whitehall and Eland House, Victoria.
	Specific ministerial responsibilities within the ODPM; staff allocated to each responsibility; ODPM targets; lists of special advisers and press officers; and the estimated cost of organising the ODPM, are still being considered.

Voting Methods

Paul Keetch: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussion he has had with Herefordshire council regarding (a) electronic voting and (b) all postal vote elections for (i) the next general election and (ii) the 2003 local elections; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: Herefordshire council recently made preliminary inquiries about the likely scope of next year's pilot programme for local elections. As the council was told, it is the Government's intention to issue in September a prospectus giving details about the scope of the 2003 electoral pilots, and how councils will be able to apply for approval to run such pilots.

Ordnance Survey

Helen Clark: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister further to the reply of the Under-Secretary of 21 January 2002, Official Report, column 572W, if he will announce the outcome of the review of the implications for the National Interest Mapping Service Agreement with the Ordnance Survey of the Ordnance Survey's decision in May 2001 to change to colour photography.

Tony McNulty: The NIMSA review group comprising officials from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ordnance Survey has yet to conclude its review of the impact on National Interest Mapping Service Agreement (NIMSA) payments to Ordnance Survey on the decision to move to aerial colour photography. The result of this review will be reported within NIMSA annual reports.

Ordnance Survey

Helen Clark: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policy is on cross-subsidy from public funds for the Ordnance Survey imagery layer business.

Tony McNulty: As a trading fund, Ordnance Survey earns its revenue principally from the licensing of its products and the provision of a small number of services. In addition it earns revenue from the National Interest Mapping Service Agreement (NIMSA) which focuses on the provision of national mapping services that would otherwise be uneconomic.
	The Government, and Ordnance Survey, will ensure that there is no cross-subsidy from public funds to support Ordnance Survey's imagery layer products.

Ordnance Survey

Helen Clark: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the National Interest Mapping Service Agreement funding makes (a) a direct and (b) an indirect contribution to the commercial activities of Ordnance Survey.

Tony McNulty: As a trading fund, Ordnance Survey is required to deliver a return on capital employed in its activities. Currently the target is to achieve an average of 9 per cent. return over the first five years of the fund, April 1999 to March 2004.
	The National Interest Mapping Service Agreement (NIMSA) is an important part of Ordnance Survey's revenue and enables it to undertake uneconomic activities that a purely commercially focused Ordnance Survey could not justify. The NIMSA review group, comprising officials from my Department and from Ordnance Survey takes great care to ensure that NIMSA funds solely support these uneconomic activities.

Planning

Paul Truswell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will publish his analysis of responses to the Green Paper "Planning: Delivering a Fundamental Change".

Nick Raynsford: A copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library. It will be placed on the ODPM website shortly.

National Spending Programmes

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action is being taken to ensure that national spending programmes are being effectively delivered regionally.

Nick Raynsford: We are working on several fronts to ensure effective delivery of our regional programmes. The White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice" sets out the general context of our regional policies. We are strengthening the Regional Development Agencies, Regional Chambers and Government Offices, so that programmes can better meet the needs of each region and local area. The White Paper sets out our plans to establish elected assemblies, which will provide more effective and accountable regional decision making, in regions which vote for them in a referendum. Also, the 2002 Spending Review is taking into account assessments of regional priorities provided by the Regional Development Agencies and Government Offices in each region.

Pro-hunting Campaign

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what information he has received from local authorities about (a) incidents of slogans, stickers or posters supporting hunting being applied to roads and other public places and (b) what the annual cost is of repairing the damage caused in these incidents.

Nick Raynsford: I am not aware of any such information having been received.

British-Irish Council

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which Ministers attended the most recent British-Irish Council; and what his role was in connection with the Council.

John Prescott: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister led the UK Government's delegation at the British-Irish Council Summit held in Jersey on 14 June. I was present in my capacity as the UK Minister with lead responsibility for the British-Irish Council. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the Minister for e-Commerce and Competitiveness were also part of the delegation.

Congestion Charges (Exemptions)

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will discuss with the Secretary of State for Transport exemption for firefighters from London's congestion charges;
	(2)  if he will meet the Mayor of London to discuss exemption for firefighters from London's congestion charges.

Nick Raynsford: No. The Government's position on national exemptions from congestion charges remains as that set out in our response to the 'Breaking the Logjam' consultation in 1999.
	Congestion charging in London is a matter for the Mayor, not the Government.

Summit Communiqués

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library the communiqués that were issued by the Governments of the UK and Ireland following the summit meetings on (a) the environment and (b) drugs policy.

John Prescott: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Grantham and Stamford (Mr. Davies) on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 47W.
	The British-Irish Council met at summit level in Jersey on 14 June 2002 and I have placed the communiqué from that summit in the Libraries of the House.

CABINET OFFICE

Advertising

John Bercow: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much was spent on press and advertising campaigns in 2001–02; and what the planned expenditure is for 2002–03.

Douglas Alexander: The Cabinet Office spend on advertising in 2001–02 was £2,691,000. This includes £2,491,000 incurred by the Office of the e-Envoy for the UK online advertising campaign in November 2001 and January 2002, offering help to people wanting to use the internet.
	The 2001–02 Resource Account is undergoing final adjustments and awaiting audit. As a result, the figure quoted is subject to change.
	The information requested for planned advertising expenditure for 2002–03 is not currently available. Budgets will be finalised shortly.

WALES

Training (Aberporth)

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has made to (a) ELWA and (b) QinetiQ about finding new funding for the training scheme at Aberporth; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: I met representatives of ELWA and QinetiQ on 8 April to discuss the future of training provision at Aberporth.
	QinetiQ and ELWA are working together to explore a number of possibilities for continuation of training at the site. These include the possibility of forming partnerships with industry, with other colleges or universities and the use of Objective One funding. I understand that the WDA is developing proposals for an incubator facility at the Aberporth technology park and that WDA and ELWA are considering how this might be integrated with the training facility.

Departmental Reports

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Wales Office departmental reports were returned and destroyed in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002.

Paul Murphy: The Stationery Office does not keep records of the number of copies which were returned and destroyed because it is not cost-effective for them to do so.

Departmental Reports

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Wales Office departmental reports were given away free in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002.

Paul Murphy: In those years the Wales Office received 350, 300 and 300 copies of its departmental reports for use within the Department and distribution to those with an interest in it (for example, Welsh MPs and other Government Departments).

Departmental Reports

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Wales Office departmental reports were printed in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002.

Paul Murphy: The numbers of Wales Office departmental reports printed in each of those years is a commercial decision for The Stationery Office.

MPs (Personal Data)

Eric Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what information is held by his Department on each hon. Member in relation to (a) personal relationships, both current and past, (b) financial status and dealings, (c) connections with companies and interest groups, (d) connections with Governments, and (e) published works; and what was held in January 2002.

Paul Murphy: Ministers and officials in this Department have access to published reference sources, as well as to the information about hon. Members made publicly available by the House authorities, for the purpose of parliamentary business.

Broadband

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the benefits of access to broadband services for Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Murphy: The Government believe that rapid roll-out and adoption of broadband across the UK is important to both their social and economic objectives.
	The Welsh Development Agency commissioned a report on the availability of advanced broadband telecommunications in Wales. The report highlighted the need for widespread access to information and communications technology, as it is becoming increasingly important in today's society, as an essential enabler of economic growth, social inclusion and efficient public sector services.

Staff Numbers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff were employed by his Department on (a) 2 May 1997 and (b) 31 May 2002.

Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State (Cabinet Office) on 13 June 2002, Official Report, column 1402W.

Delegated Legislation

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost-effectiveness of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Amendment) (No. 7) (Wales) Order;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost-effectiveness of the Animal By-Products (Amendment) (Wales) Order;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Import and Export Restrictions (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) (No. 5) (Wales) Order;
	(4)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) (Amendment No. 2) (Wales) Regulations;
	(5)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the National Health Service (General Dental Services) and (Dental Charges) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations;
	(6)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Housing (Preservation of Right to Buy) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations;
	(7)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Crab Claws (Prohibition of Landing) (Revocation) (Wales) Order;
	(8)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Miscellaneous Food Additives (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations;
	(9)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the National Health Service (Payments by Local Authorities to Health Authorities) (Prescribed Functions) (Wales) Regulations;
	(10)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost-effectiveness of the General Teaching Council for Wales (Disciplinary Functions) Regulations;
	(11)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost-effectiveness of the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical Services) (Amendment) (Wales) Order;
	(12)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost-effectiveness of the Local government (Best Value Performance Indicators) (Wales) Order;
	(13)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost-effectiveness of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 (Commencement No. 3 and Transitional Provisions) (Wales) Order;
	(14)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost-effectiveness of the Import and Export Restrictions (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) (Wales) (No. 7) Regulations;
	(15)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost-effectiveness of the Import and Export Restrictions (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) (Wales) (No. 6) Order;
	(16)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost-effectiveness of the Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations;
	(17)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost-effectiveness of the Valuation Tribunals (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations;
	(18)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Amendment) (Wales) (No. 5) Order;
	(19)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Import and Export Restrictions (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) (Wales) (No. 4) Order;
	(20)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Local Authorities (Capital Finance) (Rate of Discount for 2001–02) (Wales) Regulations;
	(21)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Education (Nutritional Standards for School Lunches) (Wales) Regulations;
	(22)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Foot- and-Mouth Disease (Marking of Meat and Meat Products) (Wales) Regulations;
	(23)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Local Government Act 2000 (Commencement No. 2) (Wales) Order;
	(24)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Spreadable Fats (Marketing Standards) (Wales) Regulations;
	(25)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Restriction on Pithing (Wales) Regulations;
	(26)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Adoption of Children from Overseas (Wales) Regulations;
	(27)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Foot- and-Mouth Disease (Marking of Meat, Meat Products, Minced Meat and Meat Preparations) (Wales) Regulations;
	(28)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Processed Cereal-based Foods and Baby Foods for Infants and Young Children (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations;
	(29)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Coffee Extracts and Chicory Extracts (Wales) Regulations;
	(30)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the National Assistance (Sums for Personal Requirements) (Wales) Regulations;
	(31)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) (Wales) Regulations;
	(32)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the National Health Service (Penalty Charge) (Wales) Regulations;
	(33)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Education (Extension of Careers Education) (Wales) Regulations;
	(34)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Housing (Right to Buy) (Priority of Charges) (Wales) Order;
	(35)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Foot- and-Mouth Disease (Amendment) (Wales) (No. 6) Order;
	(36)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) and (General Ophthalmic Services) (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations;
	(37)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the National Health Service (Optical Charges and Payments) and (General Ophthalmic Services) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations;
	(38)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Slaughter Premium (Wales) Regulations;
	(39)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Foot- and-Mouth Disease Ascertainment of Value (Wales) (No. 4) Order;
	(40)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Import and Export Restrictions (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) (No. 6) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations;
	(41)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the National Health Service (General Medical Services) (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations;
	(42)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Products of Animal Origin (Import and Export) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations;
	(43)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Ancient Monuments (Applications for Scheduled Monument Consent) (Welsh Forms and Particulars) Regulations;
	(44)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the National Health Service (Travelling Expenses and Remission of Charges) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations;
	(45)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the South Wales Sea Fisheries District (Variation) Order;
	(46)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Disabled Facilities Grants and Home Repair Assistance (Maximum Amounts) (Amendment) (Wales) Order;
	(47)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Plastic Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations;
	(48)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Foot- and-Mouth Disease (Marking of Meat, Minced Meat and Meat Preparation) (Wales) Regulations;
	(49)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Prescribed Waste (Wales) Regulations;
	(50)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (Commencement No. 2) (Wales) Order;
	(51)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Beef Labelling (Enforcement) (Wales) Regulations;
	(52)  what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the cost effectiveness of the Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) (Charges) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations.

Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 18 June 2002, Official Report, column 316.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will reply to the letter to him dated 1 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Abigail Fountain.

Maria Eagle: The reply was sent on 18 June.

Allerdale Borough Council (Benefit Fraud)

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Allerdale borough council.

Malcolm Wicks: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's (BFI) report on Allerdale borough council was published today and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
	This follow up inspection report shows that since the first inspection in October 1999 the council had made substantial progress in most areas of administering benefits. However, further improvements were still needed in counter fraud and overpayment.
	Allerdale had been struggling to bring work backlogs under control but the second inspection found work had been reduced to manageable levels through close management and monitoring of the situation.
	A significant increase in the number of staff in housing benefit administration and the appointment of a senior fraud officer as well as a restructuring of the teams in line with BFI's first recommendations had brought about a major improvement.
	In the fraud team, the long-term absence of a fraud officer had adversely affected the quantity and quality of investigations. BFI noted that the management was addressing the problems during the on-site phase of the inspection.
	The first inspection had also recommended the appointment of an overpayment officer. The council had done this and taken other positive steps to managing overpayment better. The situation has improved but further improvements are necessary to, in particular, improve debt recovery.
	Progress since the first inspection had been positively supported by greater involvement of Members and senior management in housing benefit administration and counter fraud work.
	Allerdale administered some £19 million in housing benefits in 2000–01.
	The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of housing benefit and council tax benefit, as well as counter fraud activities.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

Benefits (Payment Methods)

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether agreement has been reached with the banks on the cost to (a) his Department and (b) account holders of payment of benefits through bank accounts.

Malcolm Wicks: Over 40 per cent. of customers are currently paid directly into their bank accounts. Each payment costs taxpayers one penny as opposed to the overall cost of £1.47 for each girocheque cashed and 68p for each order book foil presented. Banks do not normally charge their customers for making withdrawals from their accounts.

East Lothian Council (Benefit Fraud)

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action he intends to take following the second report, by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate, on the administration of housing benefit and council tax benefit in East Lothian council.

Malcolm Wicks: Using the powers available to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in section 139D of the Social Security Administration Act 1992, a direction has today been given to East Lothian council following the Benefit Frauds Inspectorate's report on the council's administration of housing benefit and council tax benefit.
	We are disappointed that East Lothian council has been the subject of two critical reports by the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate before taking action to remedy their problems with benefit administration. However, we are pleased that the council is now starting to take its responsibilities seriously and improvements are being made in benefit administration.
	We hope the council will look upon the direction as a further stimulus for continuing improvement.
	A copy of the direction has been placed in the Library.

Compensation Recovery Unit

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money the Compensation Recovery Unit has reclaimed from those miners who have received compensation owing to ill health.

Brian Wilson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Compensation Recovery Unit does not recover money from compensated miners. It recovers its benefit payments from the compensator. It is the responsibility of the compensator—in these cases the DTI—to recover any appropriate benefit from miners' compensation.
	To date the DTI has settled 28,000 claims amounting to £137 million of compensation, of which the total sum recovered from miners is £96,500.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Afghanistan

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on aid to Afghanistan.

Clare Short: I am in regular contact with my EU counterparts on a number of subjects. We discussed latest developments in Afghanistan, and the continued international support for recovery and reconstruction there, at the Development Council meeting on 31 May.

Colonial Officials

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans she has to review the pension arrangements of British colonial officials.

Clare Short: None.

Competitive Tendering

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions in the last 12 months the requirement to engage in a competitive tendering process has been waived by her Department due to national security obligations under paragraph 6(h) of the supply regulations.

Clare Short: None.

Official Photographs

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many occasions during the last 12 months an official photographer has accompanied (a) her and (b) other Ministers in her Department on official visits (i) overseas and (ii) within the UK; what (A) travel expenses, (B) costs of equipment and processing, (C) staff payment and (D) other costs were incurred on each occasion; what publications official photographs have appeared in during the last 12 months and what terms and conditions were attached to the publication of such photographs; and whether photographs taken on official visits are available for use in non-governmental literature.

Clare Short: No official photographer has accompanied me or any junior Minister on any visits.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

National Stadium

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  when she received a copy of the report by Tropus about the proposed English National Stadium at Wembley; and if she will publish it;
	(2)  if she will list those reports on an English National Stadium received by her Department, stating for each one (a) the date on which it was received, (b) the name of the person, or company responsible for the compilation of the report and (c) the date on which it (i) was published or (ii) will be published;
	(3)  if she will list those reports on an English National Stadium commissioned by her Department, stating for each one (a) the date on which it was commissioned, (b) the date on which it was received and (c) the date on which it (i) was published or (ii) will be published.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 21 May 2002
	Over the course of the English National Stadium project's history my Department has received a great deal of information. Since June 2001, the following reports have been received by my Department.
	
		
			 Received by DCMS Report commissioned by Publication date 
		
		
			 19 December 2001 English National Stadium Review Interim Report—December 2001 by Patrick Carter for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. HC479 published 19 December 2001 by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. 
			 Received 15 December 2001 (draft), 18 December 2001 (final) David N. James CBE and Berwin Leighton Paisner for Wembley National Stadium Ltd. The full report has not been published. With the agreement of WNSL the Culture, Media and Sport committee published an abridged version as a memorandum (HC843) on 21 May 2001. 
			 Received 11 April 2002 Office of Government Commerce Gateway Review for Wembley National Stadium Ltd. The publication of this report is a matter for WNSL. 
			 Received 11 April 2002 Report on Value for Money Analysis by Cyril Sweett Ltd. for Wembley National Stadium Ltd. Full report containing commercially confidential information not published. Abridged version published by WNSL and laid in the House of Commons Library on 20 May 2002. 
			 Received 26 April 2002 Report of Athletics Provision Analysis by Sports Concepts and Citex for Sport England. 8 May 2002 by Sport England. 
			 Received 21 May 2002 The Tropus Report, commissioned by Tropus Consultancy. The publication of this report is a matter for Tropus Consultancy.

Culture Online

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when Culture Online will be launched; and whether further funding will be available.

Tessa Jowell: I am announcing today the commitment of a further £10 million for Culture Online.
	Together with over £3 million remaining development funding, this new investment will allow Culture Online to develop a range of innovative projects over the next two years. Culture Online will involve partnerships between cultural organisations and the private sector and we will be commissioning proposals for projects later this year. The funding will provide exciting new digital materials to enhance the school curriculum and lifelong learning. These new materials will be available through a Culture Online website and linked to the DfES Curriculum Online portal and the National Grid for Learning. Culture Online will monitor and evaluate projects to ensure the success of the programme.

DEFENCE

Departmental Expenditure Limit

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much and what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit for 2002–03 had been spent by 31 May; what the figures were for 2001–02; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary (Mr. Boateng) on 17 June 2002, Official Report, column 130W.

Kashmir

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance he has offered to India and Pakistan to help secure the border of Kashmir; what assistance has been requested; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: In the context of the current crisis, I have not offered assistance to either India or Pakistan. Nevertheless, Her Majesty's Government believe that a verifiable end to cross-border infiltration from Pakistan into India is the first step in resolving the current tensions and have made this clear to the Governments of both countries.

Afghanistan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what specialist troops Finland, Italy and Sweden have contributed to the ISAF; how long they will remain at ISAF's disposal; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: Finland has contributed liaison teams and a civil military co-ordination team. Italy has contributed infantry, including an explosive ordnance disposal team, nuclear biological and chemical warfare reconnaissance troops, general support engineers and air transport. Sweden has contributed intelligence troops. How long those countries will leave their troops at ISAF's disposal is a matter for them. We were pleased with the swiftness and generosity with which contributing nations offered troops to ISAF when the UK was planning its leadership, and the large number of countries contributing demonstrates the strength of international commitment to the war against terrorism.

Afghanistan

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions members of the UK armed forces have entered Pakistan during current operations based in Afghanistan.

Geoff Hoon: Since the United Kingdom element of the International Security Assistance Force was first deployed to Afghanistan, we have used a Forward Mounting Base in Pakistan. As a result, UK armed forces personnel regularly enter Pakistan.

Service Women

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the deployment of women into front line positions in the Royal Navy.

Adam Ingram: Women have served in the front line in surface ships since 1 September 1990. Women are currently excluded from serving in submarines and as mine clearance divers for medical safety reasons, but this policy is kept under review.

Service Women

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of women in the Royal Marines.

Adam Ingram: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 22 May 2002, Official Report, columns 363–64W to my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington, North (Helen Jones). Women may serve in the Royal Marines Band Service and in units operating in support of 3 Commando Brigade. They are, however, excluded from the Royal Marine General Service. The policy will be kept under periodic review.

Colchester Garrison

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 17 June 2002, Official Report, column 37W, on Colchester garrison, on what date his Department's PFI project team and RMPA Services co-located in offices in central London; who owns the premises; who is paying the operating costs of (a) the premises and (b) staff; and how many (i) of his Department's and (ii) RMPA Services staff are engaged.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 19 June 2002
	Elements of the Ministry of Defence's Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project team and RMPA Services co-located in offices in central London on 7 February this year. The building is owned by a third party. Sir Robert McAlpine have taken a lease on one floor of the building and have sub-let offices to the MOD and RMPA Services, who are each paying their own costs for both offices and staff. Five members of the MOD Colchester project team (including consultants' staff) have been co-located with nine RMPA Services staff (including members of three partner companies: Sir Robert McAlpine, Sodexho and WS Atkins).

Red Arrows

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long he expects the Red Arrows' Hawk aeroplanes to remain in service; and what his long-term plans are for their replacement.

Adam Ingram: Current plans assume that the Red Arrows' Hawk aircraft will remain in service until 2010. It has not yet been necessary to make plans for their replacement.

Defence Attachés

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries in which UK defence attachés were in place in (a) July 1998 and (b) April 2002, stating in each case the number of attachés in post; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 25 April 2002
	This information has been placed in the Library.

TRANSPORT

Lewes Bypass

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the noise levels experienced by residents of Lewes arising from surface noise from the A27 Lewes bypass; if he will make it his policy to secure the early resurfacing of this road; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: holding answer 18 June 2002
	I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. Norman Baker, dated 20 June 2002
	I have been asked by the Transport Minister, John Spellar, to reply to your recent question about surface noise from the A27 Lewes Bypass.
	The position with regard to noise levels and future resurfacing of the A27 Lewes Bypass remains as set out in John Spellar's letter to you dated 3 January 2002.
	Whilst writing, I would take the opportunity to clarify the information in paragraph 3 of that letter about compensation under Part I of the Land Compensation Act 1973.
	Compensation is payable under Part I for depreciation of £50 or more in the value of a property caused by physical factors arising from the road in use. Those factors include noise but it is not necessary for the noise levels to reach 68 dB (A).

Downing Street

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what legal curtailments are in place to prevent the exercise of rights to use the public highway in the case of Downing Street.

John Spellar: holding answer 18 June 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave to the right hon. Member for Suffolk, Coastal (Mr. Gummer) on 7 February 2002, Official Report, column 1094W, and 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 538W.

Bus Services

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what mechanisms are available to local authorities to influence the quality, accessibility and coverage of bus services.

John Spellar: The Transport Act 2000 requires local authorities to draw up a local transport plan with policies to promote and encourage safe, integrated, efficient and economic transport services and facilities. Every plan must include a bus strategy containing policies as to how they intend to use their powers to secure the provision of local bus services meeting local needs.
	The Act also provides powers for local authorities to make quality partnership schemes with operators of local bus services, to make ticketing schemes to promote joint or through ticketing between operators, and to make provision for making information about bus services available to the public. The Act also provides for local authorities to make quality contract schemes, involving the tendering of an entire local network, where this is the only practicable way for them to implement the policies set out in their bus strategies.

Pedestrian Crossings

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of reducing accidents by the construction of (a) pelican, (b) puffin and (c) zebra crossings; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: Primarily, pedestrian crossings are installed to help people cross roads without undue delay or danger. The advice that my Department issues on the assessment of pedestrian crossing facilities covers circumstances where accident reduction is an objective, as well as other factors. But the assessment of options, implementation and any subsequent monitoring of new crossings is for the relevant traffic authority and we do not hold centrally information on accident reductions at such sites.

Taxis and Minicabs

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what residual roles he retains over the administration and licensing of taxis and minicabs in London.

John Spellar: The administration and licensing of London's taxis and private hire vehicles (minicabs) are matters for the licensing authority, Transport for London. However, the Secretary of State retains responsibility for the commencement and transitional provisions for London private hire vehicles and their drivers in accordance with the implementation of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998; statutory instruments will be made to coincide with Transport for London's regulations when they have completed their consultations.

Prestwick Air Traffic Control Centre

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2002, Official Report, column 762W, on Prestwick, if a threshold level in traffic forecasts has been set for the commission of further work in the building of the air traffic control centre at Prestwick; and how current traffic forecasts compare to this level.

John Spellar: No threshold level in traffic forecasts has been set. Both NATS and the Government remain committed to the new Scottish centre and further work will be commenced once traffic levels make it financially prudent to do so.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what procedures he applies for considering proposals for tram and light rail schemes.

John Spellar: Proposals for new tram and light rail schemes normally need Transport and Works Act (TWA) powers. If funding from my Department is essential for the project to proceed, promoters should seek a provisional view from my Department on whether the scheme passes the Government's appraisal tests which are used to decide whether a project is eligible for funding before seeking powers. In such cases, if and when such powers are obtained, my Department then reaches a decision on whether funding should be provided for the scheme.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria his Department uses to assess proposals for tram and light rail schemes.

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how his Department computes the cost-benefits of tram and light rail systems.

John Spellar: Major schemes in local transport plans, including light rail schemes, are assessed under the New Approach to Appraisal, which takes account of five over-arching objectives: environment, safety, economy, accessibility and integration. More details are contained in "Major Scheme Appraisal in Local Transport Plans—Part 1: Detailed Guidance on Public Transport and Highway Schemes", published in May 2002.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his targets are for the numbers of (a) bus journeys and (b) tram and light rail journeys for each year of his Department's current plan's operation.

John Spellar: My Department's 10-year plan includes targets for (a) increasing bus use by 10 per cent. and (b) doubling light rail use. The base figures for passenger journeys in 2000–01 are (a) 3,761 million and (b) 120 million. The targets for passenger journeys in 2010–11 are therefore (a) 4,137 million and (b) 240 million. No targets have been set for the intervening years.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his assessment is of the benefits to business of tram and light rail schemes in (a) urban and (b) outer-city areas.

John Spellar: Light rail schemes can offer a range of benefits to business, in both urban and outer-city areas, depending on the circumstances of the particular case. They can provide a safe, reliable and efficient mode of transport for employees and customers; they may contribute to reducing congestion by attracting motorists from their cars; and they can increase the attractiveness of an area to potential investors.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has made to the Comprehensive Spending Review on trams and light rail schemes.

John Spellar: We continue to discuss progress towards the targets set out in our 10-Year Plan for Transport, including that for light rail, with colleagues across Government.

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the role of tram and light rail schemes in integrated transport strategies.

John Spellar: The potential role of light rail schemes in integrated transport strategies is summarised in paragraphs 107–08 of my Department's Guidance on Full Local Transport Plans, as follows:
	"107. Light rail, and similar rapid transit systems, can have an important role to play in delivering integrated transport in major conurbations. Experience from existing light rail schemes shows that they can be effective in providing a high quality public transport option in densely used transport corridors and in encouraging motorists to switch from their cars.
	108. However the capital costs of light rail schemes are high, particularly compared to bus priority measures and modest guided bus schemes which may offer a more cost-effective alternative. Therefore if authorities with to develop light rail schemes, they will need to be able to demonstrate that they represent good value for money, form an essential part of a local integrated transport strategy and that the objectives of that strategy cannot be met in better ways. It will also be important to show that a light rail scheme is fully integrated with other public transport modes in the area and that appropriate traffic managements schemes are to be introduced so that light rail has priority over other road space users and that the road decongestion benefits of the light rail scheme are maintained over a long period. We would also expect local authorities to develop public-private partnerships to take forward such schemes where this is necessary to secure Best Value and to consider private finance arrangements under which the maximum degree of responsibility for constructing, managing and operating the project is taken on by the private sector."

Tram and Light Rail Schemes

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list existing tram and light railway schemes indicating (a) how much revenue subsidy they have received for each year since they have been in existence and (b) the capital cost in each case.

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will list each (a) tram and (b) light rail system operating within the United Kingdom;
	(2)  what criteria he employs, other than financial ones, in assessing and approving proposed tram and light rail systems;
	(3)  how much his Department has spent on each tram and light rail system operation.

John Spellar: The information is as follows.
	
		
			 Light rail scheme Year of opening Gross capital cost at outturn prices (£ million) Central Government funding including ERDF (£ million) 
		
		
			 Manchester Metrolink: Bury-Altrincham 1992 155 150 
			 Manchester Metrolink: Salford Quays-Eccles 2000 160 27 
			 Sheffield Supertram 1994 240 235 
			 Midland Metro 1999 145 111 
			 Tyne and Wear Metro 1980–84 284 200 
			 Tyne and Wear Metro: Airport extension 1991 12 2 
			 Tyne and Wear Metro: Sunderland extension 2002 100 50 
			 Docklands Light Railway: original system, Bank and Beckton extensions 1987–94 580 480 
			 Docklands Light Railway: Lewisham extension 1999 250 50 
			 Croydon Tramlink 2000 200 125 
		
	
	The original cost of the Blackpool tramway is not known. No central Government earmarked funding has been provided for it since the introduction of local transport plans in 1999.
	None of these systems receive revenue subsidy from central Government.

Stafford Railway Station

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide funding for greater car parking capacity at Stafford railway station.

John Spellar: The provision of car parking facilities at railway stations was not a requirement of the original franchise agreements. Car parking capacity at Stafford station is a matter for the station operator, Virgin West Coast. The Strategic Rail Authority's rail passenger partnership scheme is a potential source of funding.

Rail Freight

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what (a) statutory rules, (b) guidelines and (c) regulations exist with respect to applications made to Railtrack for new freight connections;
	(2)  how many applications have been made to Railtrack, in each of the last three years, for the construction of new freight connections to the rail network;
	(3)  what (a) statutory rules, (b) guidelines and (c) regulations there are relating to the construction of new freight connections (i) by organisations other than Railtrack and (ii) that are sponsored by organisations other than Railtrack.

John Spellar: holding answer 17 June 2002
	Agreements between Railtrack and other persons regarding new freight connections to Railtrack's network are subject to the approval or discretion of the rail regulator under section 17 or 18 of the Railways Act 1993. The rail regulator has issued directions to Railtrack under section 18 for 31, six and four new connection agreements with Railtrack in each of the last three calendar years. Any such connection is subject to the Railways Act 1993, Railway Group Standards, the Railways and Other Transport Systems (Approval of Works, Plant and Equipment) Regulation 1994, the Transport and Works Act 1992, and Part G of the Railtrack Track Access Conditions. Railtrack publishes guidance for anyone seeking to connect to its network in a publication entitled "A Guide to Freight Connections". The latest edition was published in October 1998. Substantially the same regime applies to connections which do not involve Railtrack.

Rail Track Access Charges

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the change in track access charges paid by each train operating company was from 1 April 2001, resulting from the increase in access charges granted to Railtrack as part of the last periodic review carried out by the ORR; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: holding answer 17 June 2002
	The fixed track access charges paid by each franchised train operating company for 2001–02 are shown in the table. In total these charges are 20.5 per cent. lower in real terms than the aggregate fixed track access charges for 2000–01. This reduction takes account of direct grants from the SRA, in the absence of which access charges would need to be higher.
	A directly comparable breakdown of 2000–01 access charges by train operating company is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		£ 
		
			 Train operating company Fixed charge(11) 
		
		
			 Anglia 14,315,915 
			 Cardiff Railway 5,708,415 
			 Central Trains 74,823,111 
			 Chiltern 9,801,611 
			 South Central 55,990,684 
			 Connex South Eastern 100,158,195 
			 Gatwick Express 6,643,844 
			 GNER 72,589,461 
			 Great Eastern 23,781,313 
			 Great Western Trains 74,468,341 
			 C2C (formerly LTS) 17,613,747 
			 Merseyrail 14,731,783 
			 Midland Mainline 18,587,481 
			 North West Trains 80,071,189 
			 Northern Spirit 99,144,817 
			 Scotrail 117,818,012 
			 Silverlink 56,830,709 
			 South West Trains 78,702,527 
			 Thames Trains 20,631,385 
			 Thameslink 17,617,111 
			 Virgin Cross Country 118,321,190 
			 Virgin West Coast 239,910,734 
			 WAGN 49,987,277 
			 Wales and West 38,918,620 
			  
			 Total 1,407,167,474 
		
	
	(11) 2001–02 prices

Rail Franchises

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the guarantees within the franchise agreements to the train operating companies with regard to the Rail Regulator;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the protection within franchise agreements for the train operating companies with regard to (a) discriminatory changes in law and (b) Railtrack non-performance; and whose responsibility it is to enforce such protection.

John Spellar: holding answer 17 June 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to her on 15 April 2002, Official Report, column 742W. In replacement franchises there is a similar provision in relation to changes of law. There are no generic provisions relating to Railtrack's performance.
	Responsibility for awarding and managing franchises rests with the Strategic Rail Authority.

Rail Safety

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed restrictions there were on the (a) east coast and (b) west coast main lines (i) in 1999 and (ii) at the latest available date.

John Spellar: Railtrack inform me that on 10 June there were 47 temporary speed restrictions (TSRs) on the east coast main line and 100 on the west coast main line. Similar information was not collected by Railtrack in 1999.

Rail Safety

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his reply of 13 May 2002, Official Report, column 508, if he will make a statement on progress on Lord Cullen's recommendations on rail safety reported by the chairman of the Health and Safety Commission; if he will place copies of correspondence received in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: The Health and Safety Commission (HSC) has published progress reports on how the recommendations of the Cullen reports have been implemented: Part 1 on 14 March 2002 and Part 2 on 29 April 2002. These reports describe the original and revised timetables for all the recommendations and copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The Secretary of State asked the HSC for a further progress report on the reasons for the delay in implementing those recommendations associated with the management of contractors. The HSC published that report on 10 June when copies were also placed in the Libraries of the House.

Network Rail

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  on what date he applied for state aid approval for the payment of £300 million to Network Rail to provide compensation for shareholders of Rail Track Group;
	(2)  when he applied to the European Commission for state aid approval in relation to the underwriting of funding for Network Rail; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: The financial support package which the Government have agreed to make available to Network Rail if it is successful in acquiring Railtrack plc was notified to the European Commission on 31 May 2002. That includes the £300 million which is being made available to Network Rail in recognition of the benefits which would be delivered by an early end to Railtrack's administration.

Network Rail

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether there is an agreed work programme of track renewal for the first year of Network Rail's trading.

John Spellar: Any bidder to succeed Railtrack as the rail network operator—including Network Rail—would need to have in place a programme of track renewal to enable it to fulfil its licence condition, to maintain the rail network, in accordance with best practice and in a timely, economic and efficient manner.

Network Rail

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much money he estimates will be raised from (a) Government and (b) private sector sources to finance Network Rail;
	(2)  how much money he estimates the SRA will need in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 to finance Network Rail;
	(3)  what adjustments to the forecasts for transport spending under the 10-year plan he is proposing to accommodate the financing of Network Rail;
	(4)  what his estimate is of the expenditure needed in the next three years to bring the rail network up to acceptable standard;
	(5)  whether the additional grant and guarantees needed by Network Rail compared with the plans for Railtrack in the 10-year plan represent additional public funding above the 10-year plan levels.

John Spellar: Network Rail will have improved management focus, lower financing costs and no dividends to pay. Negotiations are continuing with Network Rail over its support requirements. The Government expect that any support offered to Network Rail could be found within the 10-year transport plan funding levels.

Network Rail

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether the Government stand behind any guarantees offered by the SRA on behalf of Network Rail;
	(2)  how much capital Network Rail will have on its balance sheet on its first day of trading after the transfer to it of Railtrack assets.

John Spellar: Negotiations between Network Rail and Railtrack Group plc are continuing on a commercial confidential basis.

Network Rail

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guarantees about the state of the rail network (a) the Government and (b) the SRA will offer to Network Rail.

John Spellar: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 June 2002, Official Report, column 777W.

Strategic Rail Authority

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Government guarantee the borrowings of the SRA.

John Spellar: Paragraph 10 of schedule 14 to the Transport Act 2000 gives the Secretary of State the power to guarantee the repayment of any sums borrowed by the SRA temporarily, by way of overdraft or otherwise, from another person. The SRA has not exercised its powers to borrow money.

Commuters

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average time was spent commuting (a) predominantly by rail and (b) predominantly by road, in minutes per person, in each of the last six years in each nation and region.

John Spellar: The average time spent travelling to work is available from the Labour Forces Survey. The table shows the average time (in minutes) for trips to work (a) by predominantly rail and (b) by predominantly road for the autumn of the last six years by region of workplace.
	
		Average time travelling to work by Government office region and country of workplace -- Minutes per trip
		
			  Autumn  
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 By rail   
			 North East 37 42 43 42 45 40 
			 North West 48 44 49 50 55 50 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 56 60 53 54 56 58 
			 East Midlands 62 73 44 57 61 63 
			 West Midlands 62 58 53 56 58 60 
			 East of England 54 51 57 57 60 51 
			 London 59 60 59 59 61 61 
			 South East 52 59 58 58 60 56 
			 South West 76 58 58 73 69 65 
			 England 58 59 58 59 60 59 
			
			 Wales 50 49 50 52 38 43 
			 Scotland 58 42 55 53 52 48 
			 Great Britain 58 58 58 58 59 59 
			
			 By road   
			 North East 21 21 21 21 22 22 
			 North West 22 23 23 23 24 24 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 23 23 23 22 23 24 
			 East Midlands 21 22 21 21 21 22 
			 West Midlands 23 23 23 23 24 24 
			 East of England 22 22 22 22 23 23 
			 London 34 34 35 35 36 35 
			 South East 23 24 24 24 24 24 
			 South West 21 21 21 22 22 22 
			 England 23 24 24 24 25 25 
			
			 Wales 20 21 20 21 21 20 
			 Scotland 23 24 23 23 24 24 
			 Great Britain 23 24 24 24 24 24

Ordnance Survey Contracts

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what restrictions are placed on EU, but non-UK companies in subcontracting Ordnance Survey contracts to non-EU companies.

David Jamieson: This matter is commercially confidential.

Meetings

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which Ministers and officials had meetings with representatives of (a) the Confederation of British Industry, (b) the Engineering Employees Federation, and (c) the Engineering Marine Training Authority during the last year; who they met; and what the subjects and outcomes of their discussions were.

John Spellar: Ministers and civil servants have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals as part of the process of policy development and analysis.
	As with previous Administrations it is not this Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and Guidance to Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists.

Departmental Restructuring

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) timetable and (b) terms of reference are for the review of the appropriate institutional structure and departmental responsibilities for transport safety and other health and safety at work issues deemed necessary as a result of departmental restructuring; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Darling: Further details will be announced shortly.

Illegal Fuel

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many roadside tests were carried out on motor vehicles to test for illegal petrol and diesel in each year since 1995.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	Roadside checks do not include risk-targeted checks made at premises. They are therefore only part of Customs activity to test for illegal petrol and diesel.
	The decline in the number of tests made reflects a move to more risk assessed challenges. This makes better use of Customs' resources and results in a greater hit rate than for fully random testing. Figures for 2000 show hit rates of approximately 4.5 per cent. for random tests and 45 per cent. for risk-assessed challenges.
	Customs figures for roadside checks do not go back as far as 1995. However, the table shows the number of roadside checks carried out from financial year 1996–97.
	
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 1996–97 39,087 
			 1997–98 35,603 
			 1998–99 34,963 
			 1999–2000 30,405 
			 2000–01 17,158 
			 2001–02 11,012

Red Diesel

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what restrictions exist on the use of red diesel in the United Kingdom; and whether these regulations were changed following shortages in fuel supplies in September 2000.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	Restrictions on the use of red diesel and other 'rebated oils' are contained in the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979, and published in Customs and Excise Public Notice 75 "Fuel for Diesel Vehicles".
	This legislation was not changed after the shortages in fuel supplies that occurred in September 2000, though for a brief period at the time motorists were permitted to use red diesel, provided that duty at the full, road fuel, rate was paid.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Youth Services

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what the average amount spent on youth services is by local authorities per 13 to 19-year-old per year in each of the last three years;
	(2)  if she will list by local authority the amount spent on youth services per 13 to 19-year-old for (a) the last year for which figures are available and (b) the preceding three years.

David Miliband: The information requested is contained in the following tables:
	
		NCE per head of population, real terms (2000–01) prices
		
			  Unit costs per head of population (£)  
			 LEA name 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 
		
		
			 City of London 380 400 960 260 
			 Camden 140 150 180 240 
			 Greenwich 100 110 130 130 
			 Hackney 80 70 100 — 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 150 110 160 150 
			 Islington 310 240 400 300 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 350 240 350 350 
			 Lambeth 100 90 90 120 
			 Lewisham 100 100 110 130 
			 Southwark 220 230 140 170 
			 Tower Hamlets 230 210 200 210 
			 Wandsworth 190 190 190 180 
			 Westminster 200 150 130 110 
			 Barking and Dagenham 100 100 80 70 
			 Barnet 60 70 90 60 
			 Bexley 70 80 90 90 
			 Brent 120 120 100 110 
			 Bromley 40 50 50 50 
			 Croydon 70 70 80 110 
			 Ealing 40 40 50 70 
			 Enfield 40 50 50 50 
			 Haringey 70 90 80 100 
			 Harrow 40 40 40 40 
			 Havering 60 70 70 80 
			 Hillingdon 80 80 70 70 
			 Hounslow 60 70 50 50 
			 Kingston upon Thames 60 50 60 60 
			 Merton 40 40 50 50 
			 Newham 110 80 80 80 
			 Redbridge 60 70 70 90 
			 Richmond upon Thames 70 70 50 60 
			 Sutton 90 90 90 80 
			 Waltham Forest 110 130 110 120 
			 Birmingham 80 90 90 40 
			 Coventry 90 70 80 80 
			 Dudley 50 50 60 70 
			 Sandwell 50 50 60 60 
			 Solihull 40 40 40 40 
			 Walsall 60 60 90 50 
			 Wolverhampton 140 130 140 160 
			 Knowsley — 30 10 10 
			 Liverpool 160 160 140 130 
			 St. Helens 60 60 70 70 
			 Sefton 70 70 70 70 
			 Wirral 70 70 80 70 
			 Bolton 60 60 60 60 
			 Bury 50 50 80 80 
			 Manchester 60 70 70 70 
			 Oldham 120 130 80 70 
			 Rochdale 80 70 60 70 
			 Salford 60 60 60 80 
			 Stockport 60 60 70 70 
			 Tameside 100 90 70 120 
			 Trafford 60 80 80 70 
			 Wigan 50 50 50 50 
			 Barnsley 80 90 100 90 
			 Doncaster 70 80 70 70 
			 Rotherham 130 160 160 170 
			 Sheffield 100 100 90 100 
			 Bradford 90 90 100 80 
			 Calderdale 140 120 120 130 
			 Kirklees 40 40 40 50 
			 Leeds 90 200 100 120 
			 Wakefield 70 60 60 70 
			 Gateshead 60 70 70 70 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 110 120 — 150 
			 North Tyneside 20 20 30 50 
			 South Tyneside 80 70 50 110 
			 Sunderland 20 40 60 60 
			 Isles of Scilly — 10 10 20 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 90 100 90 90 
			 City of Bristol 80 80 80 80 
			 North Somerset 60 60 60 50 
			 South Gloucestershire 50 50 60 50 
			 Hartlepool 110 110 100 100 
			 Middlesbrough 20 40 80 80 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 90 90 90 100 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 70 60 60 60 
			 City of Kingston-upon-Hull 100 100 100 100 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 50 50 60 50 
			 North East Lincolnshire 50 50 70 80 
			 North Lincolnshire 80 90 80 80 
			 North Yorkshire 40 30 40 30 
			 York 60 70 70 70 
			 Bedfordshire 50 40 50 40 
			 Luton 70 60 50 70 
			 Buckinghamshire 60 50 60 60 
			 Milton Keynes 80 80 80 80 
			 Derbyshire 80 80 70 60 
			 Derby 60 70 60 80 
			 Dorset 70 70 70 70 
			 Poole 70 60 70 70 
			 Bournemouth 90 90 100 110 
			 Durham 90 90 70 40 
			 Darlington 70 70 50 50 
			 East Sussex 50 40 50 50 
			 Brighton and Hove 40 60 40 40 
			 Hampshire 30 30 30 40 
			 Portsmouth — — — — 
			 Southampton 40 50 40 40 
			 Leicestershire 60 70 70 60 
			 Leicester 90 90 80 70 
			 Rutland 40 60 60 50 
			 Staffordshire 100 90 80 80 
			 Stoke on Trent 50 40 70 80 
			 Wiltshire 80 50 60 50 
			 Swindon 90 70 80 80 
			 Pre LGR Berkshire 80
			 Bracknell Forest  80 90 90 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead  50 50 50 
			 West Berkshire  50 50 60 
			 Reading  180 90 100 
			 Slough  90 100 100 
			 Wokingham  40 50 10 
			 Pre LGR Cambridgeshire 50
			 Cambridgeshire  50 40 40 
			 Peterborough  10 40 70 
			 Pre LGR Cheshire 50
			 Cheshire  50 50 50 
			 Halton  70 80 70 
			 Warrington  50 50 50 
			 Pre LGR Devon 40
			 Devon  40 40 40 
			 Plymouth  10 50 50 
			 Torbay  40 40 40 
			 Pre LGR Essex 70
			 Essex  60 60 60 
			 Southend  60 50 60 
			 Thurrock  100 80 100 
			 Hereford and Worcester 40
			 Herefordshire  40 40 60 
			 Worcestershire  40 40 40 
			 Pre LGR Kent 40
			 Kent  40 40 50 
			 Rochester and Gillingham  40 40 50 
			 Pre LGR Lancashire 90
			 Lancashire  70 70 70 
			 Blackburn  80 80 90 
			 Blackpool  60 60 60 
			 Pre LGR Nottinghamshire 90
			 Nottinghamshire  80 80 90 
			 Nottingham City  120 120 120 
			 Pre LGR Shropshire 70
			 Shropshire  60 70 60 
			 The Wrekin  90 90 90 
			 Cornwall 56 50 50 70 
			 Cumbria 42 40 40 40 
			 Gloucestershire 68 60 60 60 
			 Hertfordshire 70 60 60 70 
			 Isle of Wight 109 100 90 90 
			 Lincolnshire 47 50 40 50 
			 Norfolk 55 50 40 40 
			 Northamptonshire 58 60 60 50 
			 Northumberland 51 40 50 50 
			 Oxfordshire 52 50 40 50 
			 Somerset 61 60 60 70 
			 Suffolk — — 40 50 
			 Surrey 57 60 60 70 
			 Warwickshire 24 30 30 50 
			 West Sussex 62 60 60 60 
			 England 71 70 70 70 
			 Min. — — — — 
			 Max. 380 400 960 350 
			 Median 70 70 70 70 
			 25 per cent. LEAs 90 90 90 90 
			 75 per cent. LEAs 50 50 50 50 
		
	
	Notes:
	All figures are in £s, rounded to the nearest £10.
	All figures are in real terms (2000–01) prices based on GDP deflators published on 18 April 2002.
	Unit costs are calculated using net current expenditure after recharges.
	Expenditure data for 1999–2000 is taken from section 52 outturn statements completed by local education authorities and returned to DfES.
	Data for previous years is taken from DTLR's revenue outturn returns.
	Population data relate to ages 13 to 19 and are estimates produced by the DfES, using data from the ONS and Government Actuaries Department (GAD).

Education Standards

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) boys and (b) girls from ethnic minority backgrounds reached the required standards of (i) English and (ii) Maths at Key Stages (A) 1, (B) 2, (C) 3 and (D) 4 in each year since 1997, broken down by local education authority.

David Miliband: The information requested is not available centrally at present. The new Pupil Level Annual Schools' Census that my Department introduced in January 2002 will enable for the first time linkage between the characteristics of individual pupils to their Key Stage and GCSE/GNVQ achievements. Statistical analyses from these linkages will be published in the autumn.

Equal Treatment

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by her Department since August 1997.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 22 May 2002
	Statistics published by the Department routinely include breakdowns by gender and age, except (in the latter case) where they relate to programmes for children or young people of a specific age (for example national curriculum assessments).
	In the early years and child care field, a number of survey series have been introduced since 1997. The topics covered include parents of three and four-year-old children and their use of early years services, parents' demand for child care, and the child care work force. The data collected include gender, age, ethnicity and disability, and analyses are published accordingly where sample sizes allow.
	Since 1997 the Department has developed and implemented a "Pupil Level Annual Schools Census" (PLASC) collecting far more detailed data than hitherto from maintained schools. Data were collected for all maintained school pupils for the first time in January 2002, and are being linked with their Key Stage and examination achievements as they occur. These data will allow far more detailed investigation of the impact of gender, ethnicity, special educational needs and other factors on the experiences and achievements of school pupils, and new analyses or series will be published from this source in due course.
	Since 1997 the Department has introduced several new statistical series on young people and adults embarking on Government supported training, their qualification achievements and subsequent destinations. These include breakdowns by some or all of gender, ethnicity, disability and literacy/numeracy need.
	In 2000 a new series was introduced on the level of highest qualification held by young people and adults of working age, including breakdowns by gender, age and ethnicity. This was a new analysis of data from the long-standing Labour Force Survey.
	The Department, in collaboration with the Office for National Statistics and the Department for Work and Pensions, introduced the English Local Labour Force Survey in 2000, a new annual exercise expanding on the Labour Force Survey. First results from the enlarged survey were published in 2001, including a wide range of qualifications and labour market analyses with breakdowns by gender, age, ethnicity and disability.
	In addition to new data series, since 1997 the Department has commissioned, conducted itself or contributed to a wide range of one-off or time limited exercises, yielding information including gender, age, ethnicity or disability (or special educational need) dimensions:
	Effective Provision of Pre-School Education—a longitudinal study of children;
	the Millennium Cohort, a new longitudinal study led by the Economic and Social Research Council and co-funded by DfES and other Departments, which surveyed 20,000 babies born between July 2000 and June 2001, and will (for example) provide vital information for the evaluation of Sure Start;
	17 published research reports, plus two more in preparation, on topics related to special educational needs, including the evaluation of provision for different kinds of special need, the development of good practice in special needs provision, and the achievements of special needs pupils;
	three published research reports on topics related to ethnicity (teaching and learning strategies in successful multi-ethnic schools; minority ethnic participation and achievements in education, training and the labour market; Black Caribbean young men's experiences of education and employment), plus three more in preparation (on exclusions of minority ethnic pupils, minority ethnic pupils in mainly White schools, and the experiences of minority ethnic students in higher education and their transition into the labour market);
	evaluation of the Department's "Excellence in Cities" initiatives, and their impact for pupils of different gender, age and ethnicity;
	evaluation of the impact of Educational Maintenance Allowances on participation and achievement in post-16 education;
	the "Excellence Challenge" to increase and widen participation in higher education, the evaluation of which will assess the aspirations of minority ethnic and female students, their achievements at ages 14–18 and progression into higher education;
	the National Survey of Adult Basic Skills Needs (scheduled for completion in 2003), plus a longitudinal study of the impact of basic skills learning (scheduled for completion in 2005);
	the National Adult Learning Survey—a special survey in 1999 for adults from ethnic minorities, and a boosted sample in 2000 to capture information for adults with disabilities;
	an on-going study of the impact of gender, ethnicity, age and disability on teachers' career patterns (scheduled for completion in 2003);
	an on-going survey of the use of and attitudes towards ICT by people from ethnic minorities compared with White people;
	the "Young people and ICT" survey published in 2002, looking at use of, attitudes to and expenditure on ICT by children and their parents, plus a repeat survey to be published in 2003, which will examine variations by ethnic group in greater depth;
	a study of the position of women in IT, electronic and communication courses and careers (conducted jointly with the Department of Trade and Industry and Cabinet Office).

School Expenditure

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of UK GDP was spent on (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each of the last three years.

David Miliband: Data are not recorded to indicate how funding is split between secondary schools and primary schools in the United Kingdom. The following table provides details of the proportion of gross domestic product spent on schools in the United Kingdom in the last three years. Some under fives are educated in primary schools and therefore funding for this group is also shown.
	
		Percentage 
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Schools 2.7 2.8 3.0 
			 Under Fives 0.2 0.2 0.3 
			  
			 Total Schools and Under Fives 2.9 3.0 3.3 
		
	
	In England, approximately 46 per cent. of recurrent spending on schools is targeted for funding primary schools and educating the under-fives. Some 44 per cent. is directed into secondary schools and sixth form colleges. The remaining funding supports other services such as school transport, school meals, teacher development and child guidance.
	Information on schools spending by the devolved Assemblies is a matter for them and not for my Department.

Computers

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many computers were replaced in her Department in each of the past three years; how the replaced units were disposed of and by which companies; and at what cost.

Ivan Lewis: The number of computers replaced in each of the past three years by the Department for Education and Employment (until June 2001) and the Department for Education and Skills (from June 2001 onwards) was:
	
		
			 Date Number 
		
		
			 April 1999-March 2000 1,250 
			 April 2000-March 2001 3,155 
			 April 2001-March 2002 2,542 
		
	
	The Department's policy is to give suitable computer equipment to non-profit organisations active in education, training and employment and to dispose of other computer equipment by auction. Over the three years 3,500 computers were provided to schools and other non-profit making organisations.
	Two companies, London Computer Auctions (until July 2000) and Northern Realisations, have handled the transfer to non-profit organisations, making a small charge to cover their costs. They have also handled the auction sales.
	The cost to the Department over the three years was about £30,000.

Performance Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what has been the (a) cost and (b) saving from the pursuit of the Department's public service agreement targets in each year since they were introduced.

Stephen Twigg: The Department's public service agreement set out the key outcomes it is committed to deliver with the resources provided, and its service delivery agreement sets out the key steps towards delivery of those targets. Every year the Department publishes performance against its targets—including on value for money—and the resources it has used, in its departmental report.

Home Education

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what support and guidance is provided by her Department for parents educating their children at home; and what guidance has been given to education authorities about support for the education of children at home.

Ivan Lewis: The Government fully recognise and support the right of any parent who wishes to educate their child at home, a right established under Section 7 of the Education Act 1996.
	Parents choose to educate their children at home for a variety of reasons and the Department encourages LEAs to be sympathetic to these and endeavour to enter in to a discussion with home-educators. They should not seek to prevent parents from opting for home education, but must assure themselves that the education is appropriate to their child's age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs they may have (Section 7 of the Education Act 1996). In addition, the local education authority must satisfy itself that the child is receiving suitable education (Section 19 of the Education Act 1996), and the Department suggests that parents should provide sufficient information for the local education authority to be able to do this.
	The Department has compiled a fact sheet regarding home education which is available to parents and local education authorities on request or can be downloaded from the Department's website at: www.dfes.gov.uk/ parents/learning/home.

Bullying

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 16 October 2001, Official Report, column 1189W, on bullying, what measures have been (a) drawn up and (b) implemented to prevent bullying, with special reference to racist and homophobic bullying in schools and colleges; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: We are determined to help all schools prevent homophobic or racist bullying, and other forms of bullying, among pupils. Our anti-bullying pack contains specific advice on tackling bullying because of race or sexual orientation, and we have also provided a foreword to "Safe for All: a best practice guide to prevent homophobic bullying in secondary schools" published by Stonewall.
	We are funding new research by ChildLine to obtain young people's views on schools' anti-bullying policies. In addition, external researchers are evaluating the use of our anti-bullying pack and video by schools. We have taken steps to publicise further the pack's availability, and plan to re-launch the document later this year. In addition, our guidance on the Safer Schools Partnerships (covering the areas of highest crime) mentions that the police and schools need to be essential partners in the prevention of bullying and antisocial behaviour.
	We are not directly responsible for further education colleges as they are independent institutions. I understand that the further education sector has developed guidance regarding positive duties on promoting race relations in colleges; these might be helpful in creating an appropriately supportive environment.

Bullying

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 1189W, on bullying, what review has taken place to assess the anti-bullying strategy; what plans she has to introduce legislation to prevent bullying and harassment in further education colleges; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: We have not carried out a review of this strategy. However, external researchers are evaluating the use of our anti-bullying pack and video by schools; the results should be available early next year.
	We have no plans to require further education colleges to draw up anti-bullying policies, as they are independent institutions. However, we would encourage any college to draw up such a policy if they believe that one is needed.

Qualifications

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the parity of esteem between general academic, vocational and work-based qualifications for young people is to be funded; to what extent; from what sources; and over what time scale.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 18 June 2002
	The arrangements for the relative funding levels of different qualifications are a matter for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). I have therefore asked John Harwood, the council's chief executive, to write to my hon. Friend providing the information requested and to place a copy of his reply in the Library.
	The Government are committed to bringing up the funding for colleges towards that of schools in time and as resources allow. This will help the LSC to ensure that qualification funding levels are equitable across different learning sectors.

Truancy

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many primary schools and how many secondary schools reported zero per cent. for unauthorised absence in her Department's absence tables in academic year 2000–01.

Stephen Twigg: There were 3,675 primary schools, which represents 20 per cent. of all maintained primary schools, and 29 secondary schools, which represents almost 1 per cent. of all maintained secondary schools, that reported zero per cent. for unauthorised absence in 2000–01.

Edexcel

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many errors have been found in examination papers set by Edexcel for examinations in the current year.

Stephen Twigg: Seven errors have been found in Edexcel examination papers during 2002, consisting of five in the January series of examinations and two in the May/June series.

Community Schools

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the community schools that in each of the last five years have become voluntary aided schools, with any resulting religious affiliation, and stating in each case the (a) estimated value of the land and buildings transferred from public ownership and (b) amount paid by the voluntary organisation for those assets.

David Miliband: Community schools were introduced by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 with effect from 1 September 1999. Since that time the Department has been informed that proposals have been approved for the community schools in the tables to close and re-open as a voluntary aided school with a religious character, or to close and amalgamate with other voluntary aided schools with a religious character.
	The Department is not routinely told of the value of the school assets transferred by an LEA to school trustees in connection with such proposals. Details are, however, provided of the purchase price agreed between the LEA and trustees where voluntary aided school grant has been agreed to assist trustees with a purchase.
	
		Community schools closed to become new voluntary aided schools
		
			  Details 
		
		
			 LEA Hartlepool 
			 Community school name Henry Smith School 
			 VA school name St. Hild's CofE VA School 
			 Religious character Church of England 
			 Date of change 1 September 2001 
			 Grant aided purchase cost (£) 700,000 
		
	
	
		Community schools closed to amalgamate with voluntary aided schools
		
			  LEA  Previous school names  New VA school name  Religious character  Date of change Grant-aided purchase cost 
		
		
			 Liverpool Kirkdale Primary School (Community) and St. Lawrence's Primary School (VA) Kirkdale St. Lawrence CofE Primary School Church of England 1 September 2000 0 
			   
			 Barnsley Dodworth CofE Infant School (VA) and Dodworth Junior School (Community) Dodworth CofE (VA) Primary School Church of England 1 September 2001 0 
			   
			 Stockton-on-Tees Elm Tree Community Infant School and St. Marks CE VA Junior School St. Marks Elm Tree Primary School Church of England 1 September 2001 (12)— 
			   
			 Sheffield Pye Bank Community Infant School and Pye Bank Trinity CE VA Junior School Pye Bank Trinity CofE Primary School Church of England 1 September 2001 0 
			   
			 Gateshead Derwent Infant School (Community) and St Cuthberts VA Junior School St. Aidens Church of England Primary School Church of England 1 September 2000 0 
		
	
	(12) Expected to be £8,000 but not yet finalised

Parenting

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the role parents of school age children can play in helping improve children's academic performance at home.

Stephen Twigg: Parents have an important role to play in supporting their children's learning at home to improve their academic performance. At a general level, for example, parents can discuss the school day with their child so they can praise and encourage them for good results and help them through any academic or other problems they might have. Parents can provide support with homework set by the school where it is appropriate; indeed our national homework guidelines for schools, published in 1998, emphasise, among other things, that schools should ensure they work closely with parents and ensure that they are given guidance about how best to help their children. A survey my Department published this April found that 76 per cent. of parents believe helping their children with homework is extremely important.
	A great deal of work has been carried out by my Department to help parents become more involved, based on the strategy for involving parents which was first described in the 1997 White Paper "Excellence in Schools". This strategy comprised three strands: providing information to parents, giving parents a more effective voice, and encouraging families to learn together. Resources which have been produced for parents as part of this strategy include the Parents' Centre website, the Learning Journey parents' guides to the curriculum, and the "Parents + Schools" magazine, as well as several hints and tips booklets produced as part of publicity campaigns including the National Year of Reading, Maths Year 2000, and the Dads and Sons campaign.
	Of course there are also many specific activities that parents can carry out: for younger children, reading with them and to them, playing number games or helping them with spellings; for older children, giving advice on how to organise their time, giving them support with using the internet, and encouraging children to engage in activities of general educational benefit, such as reading, and visiting museums and galleries. Underlying all these and many other activities is the idea that parents have a responsibility to show children that they believe in the value of education and learning, both for their own sake and as a means to achieving greater success in later life.

Overseas Travel

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 28 February 2002, Official Report, column 1542W, if she will provide details of the (a) destination and (b) purpose of the overseas trip undertaken by a special adviser in her Department between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2001; and if she will provide a breakdown of the costs incurred on the stated trip, including (i) travel, (ii) accommodation and (iii) subsistence allowance.

Estelle Morris: A special adviser from my Department accompanied the then Secretary of State, David Blunkett to China in June 2000. The purpose of the visit was to consolidate and develop bilateral relations between China and the UK.
	For the costs incurred on the above trip I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 28 February.

Specialist Schools

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the criteria used to select specialist schools.

David Miliband: The assessment criteria for specialist school applications are set out in published guidance. This is available to schools on request and can also be downloaded from the specialist schools website at www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/specialistschools. Copies of latest edition of the guidance against which schools will make applications in October 2002 and March 2003 have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

European Languages Day

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps her Department is taking to mark European Languages Day on 26 September.

David Miliband: This Department, through the Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research (CILT), will be raising awareness of the day with the help of all the partners involved in last year's European Year of Languages. CILT are forming a working group to take this work forward. An award ceremony will take place on the day that will recognise about 12 innovative projects, ranging from primary school projects to adult education projects.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Entry Clearance

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals against refusal of entry clearance were outstanding at the end of each (a) month since June 2001 and (b) June since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: Historical figures on the numbers of outstanding entry clearance appeals are not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Dungavel Detention Centre

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the only people who have been detained in Dungavel Detention Centre are those who (a) are subject to removal, (b) have committed an offence and (c) are regular absconders.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 18 June 2002
	The detention of those held in Dungavel House Removal Centre will have been considered in line with the published criteria referred to in the Government's 1998 White Paper "Fairer, Faster and Firmer". The criteria is as follows:
	(a) where there is a reasonable belief that the individual will fail to keep the terms of temporary admission or temporary release; (b) initially to clarify a person's identity and the basis of their claim; or (c) where removal is imminent.

Accommodation/Removal Centres

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the successful examples of the contracting out of the running of accommodation and removal centres referred to by him during the report stage of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill, 11 June 2002, Official Report, column 767.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 18 June 2002
	Five removal centres have been contracted out successfully. These are Tinsley House to Wackenhut UK Ltd.; Dungavel to Premier Detention Services; Harmondsworth to Harmondsworth Detention Services Ltd.; Yarl's Wood to Group 4 Amey Immigration Ltd. and Campsfield to Group 4 Falk UK Global Solutions Ltd.
	The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has also successfully entered into contracts with the private and public sector and social landlords to provide accommodation for asylum seekers who request accommodation and who are dispersed away from London and the south-east, thereby alleviating pressure on authorities in those areas.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what have been the total salary costs of each of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: Details of executive non- departmental public bodies' salary costs are available in each individual body's annual report. All annual reports are presented to Parliament and copies placed in the Library. The majority of bodies have also posted recent annual reports on their websites.

Asylum Seekers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) Pakistan nationals and (b) Indian nationals have applied for asylum (i) on entry and (ii) after entry, in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Applications(13),(14) received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants from nationals of India and Pakistan, and locations where made, 1997 to 2001
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000(15) 2001(15) 
		
		
			 Nationals of India  
			 Total 1,285 1,030 1,365 2,120 1,850 
			 Applied at port 200 340 435 455 430 
			 Applied in country 1,085 690 930 1,660 1,420 
			   
			 Nationals of Pakistan  
			 Total 1,615 1,975 2,615 3,165 2,810 
			 Applied at port 645 950 925 865 625 
			 Applied in country 970 1,025 1,690 2,300 2,185 
		
	
	(13) Figures rounded to the nearest five
	(14) May exclude some cases lodged at local enforcement offices between January 1999 and March 2000
	(15) Provisional figures
	Information on asylum applications is published quarterly. The next publication will be available from 30 August 2002 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http:// www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1/html.

Leave to Remain

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were granted exceptional leave to remain in Britain in each of the last five years for which statistics exist.

Beverley Hughes: The data requested are shown in the table.
	
		Asylum cases granted exceptional leave to remain (ELR)(16),(17), 1997 to 2001 -- Principal applicants
		
			   Granted ELR Granted ELR under backlog clearance exercise 
		
		
			 1997 3,115 — 
			 1998 3,910 — 
			 1999 2,465 10,195 
			 2000(18) 11,495 10,020 
			 2001(18) 19,510 — 
		
	
	(16) Figures are rounded to the nearest five, and exclude dependants
	(17) Some cases decided under the backlog criteria may not be included, as they may be included in the figures showing cases considered under normal procedures
	(18) Data are provisional
	Information on initial decisions is published quarterly. The next publication will be available from 30 August 2002 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ rds/immigration1.html.

Leave to Remain

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals against refusal of leave to remain in the UK were outstanding (a) at the end of each month since June 2001 and (b) since June 1997.

Beverley Hughes: Historical figures on the numbers of outstanding appeals against refusal of leave to remain in the United Kingdom are not recorded centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Genetic Modification

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the genetically modified animals whose creation has been authorised under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, indicating in each case the novel characteristics developed.

Bob Ainsworth: The production of genetically modified animals (as well as their use in experiments or other scientific procedures) is controlled under the terms of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The production and use of such animals allows new areas of medical and other scientific research to be explored: provides the potential for investigating a wide variety of conditions including cancer, cystic fibrosis and multiple sclerosis; and allows the quality of the science in many areas of research and testing to be improved. The Home Office does not maintain a central register of the lines produced of their physical characteristics. There are, however, a number of third party databases detailing genetically modified animals and their characteristics.

Non-UK Minors

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children not of UK nationality have been brought into the UK for adoption by residents of the UK since the introduction of the Adoption (Inter-Country Aspects) Act 1999, broken down by nationality.

Beverley Hughes: The requested information is not currently available, as we do not identify children not of United Kingdom nationality brought into the United Kingdom for adoption separately in our statistics. This is currently under review to enable us to do so in the future.
	There are only three sections of the Adoption (Inter-Country Aspects) Act that have been enacted at present. These provisions were enacted in advance of the main body to tighten controls on the assessment process as quickly as possible.

Immigration, Asylum and Citizenship Bill

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received from groups concerning the Immigration, Asylum and Citizenship Bill.

Beverley Hughes: We invited comments on the proposals in the White Paper, "Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain", and have placed copies of the 330 responses from organisations and individuals in the Library.
	We did not undertake a formal consultation exercise when we introduced the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill. But we have received comments from a number of groups which we are taking into account during the Bill's passage through Parliament.

Youth Courts

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Department has to introduce (a) a hearings system and (b) an inquisitorial magistracy in youth courts.

Hilary Benn: We have no current plans to introduce an inquisitorial system in the youth courts, but are keen to investigate the possibility of pre-hearing arrangements.

Illegal Meat Imports

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment the Government have made of the potential use of illegal meat imports as a vehicle for bio-terrorism.

Elliot Morley: I have been asked to reply.
	The Secretary of State for the Home Department is responsible for counter terrorism policy. The Government have a range of contingency plans in place to respond to terrorist threats including those from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents. In relation to illegal imports of meat, my Department announced a Government action plan on 28 March to reduce the risks of illegal meat imports resulting in disease entering the UK.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Legal Aid Solicitors

David Kidney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will provide funding for the training of future legal aid solicitors.

Rosie Winterton: The Lord Chancellor has made £1.5 million available in this financial year to contribute to the costs of tuition fees and training contracts for prospective solicitors who undertake to carry out publicly funded work for at least two years after qualification. The Legal Services Commission (LSC) published a consultation paper "Developing Legal Aid Solicitors" on 12 June 2002. The paper sets out the details of two schemes which will provide support for up to 100 training contracts, and 100 LSC sponsorship grants, from September 2002. Copies of the paper have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Powers of Attorney

Paul Burstow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the cost of fees to register powers of attorney over the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The fee for registering an Enduring Power of Attorney was set at £50 on 1 May 1990; at £75 on 1 October 1999; and at £220 on 17 April 2002.

Child Abductions

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many children have been abducted from the UK since 1 January.

Rosie Winterton: Since 1 January this year, a total of 75 cases have been reported to the central authorities, under the Hague convention. The breakdown is as follows:
	69 cases in England and Wales, involving 116 children;
	two cases in Northern Ireland involving three children; and
	four cases in Scotland involving five children.
	For countries not under the Hague convention, a total of 37 cases, involving 38 children have been reported to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Asylum Seekers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much money has been spent on legal aid for asylum seekers in each of the last three years; how much of this was for the initial application; how much of this was for fighting appeals; how many asylum seekers were involved in legal aid procedures in both categories; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: pursuant to her answer of 7 May 2002, col. 68–69W
	In my original answer to the hon. Member's question I advised that total expenditure on immigration and asylum matters in 2000–01 was £88.3 million. This was incorrect and I apologise for this error. The true figure was in fact £81.3 million.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Correspondence

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average response time was for responding to departmental correspondence; what percentage of letters took longer than one month for a response; and what percentage took longer than three months for a response in each of the last five years.

Jack Straw: The information requested is not available. However the Cabinet Office publishes an annual report to Parliament on the volume of Members' correspondence received by Departments, and their performance against their service target. The Foreign and Commonwealth's service target is 20 working days. The report for 2001 was published on Friday 24 May. Copies of previous reports are available in the Library of the house. Figures for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for each year are as follows:
	
		
			  Year Total number of Members'correspondence Percentage to in 20 working days 
		
		
			 1997 18,553 68.5 
			 1998 19,493 66 
			 2000 17,141 64 
			 2001 18,551 78.5 
		
	
	Records of other correspondence received by my Department are not kept centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	I apologise to the hon. Member for the unacceptable delay in answering this question.

Computers

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many computers were replaced in his Department in each of the past three years; how the replaced units were disposed of and by which companies; and at what cost.

Denis MacShane: Figures for the PCs disposed of in the UK over the last three years are as follows:
	1999 PCs 488 Monitors 133
	2000 PCs 150 Monitors 305
	2001 PCs 180 Monitors 498.
	We do not hold the information regarding how the replaced units are disposed of centrally and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. However, under its environmental policy on operations, the FCO endeavours to minimise the generation of waste and implement recycling initiatives and we encourage posts to consider the option of donating replaced units to charitable causes.

Staff Numbers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff were employed by his Department on (a) 2 May 1997 and (b) 31 May 2002.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 13 June 2002, Official Report, column 1402W.

Arms Trade

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his officials have had with the German Government regarding the re-export of MP5 submachine guns from Turkey to Indonesia by MKEK (Turkey) in 1999.

Mike O'Brien: We have had no such discussions with the German Government.

Arms Trade

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions his officials have had with other signatories to the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports on agreeing common standards for the re-export of small arms imported or transferred from non-EU countries.

Mike O'Brien: My officials have held no discussions with our EU partners about developing common standards specifically to control re-export from EU member states of small arms imported or transferred from non-EU countries. Such re-exports are covered by EU member states' arms export control legislation, and licence applications for such re-exports are subject to assessment against the EU code of conduct in the same way as other arms export licence applications, providing the same level of control as for any other arms exports.

Members of Parliament (Personal Data)

Eric Forth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information is held by his Department on each hon. Member in relation to (a) personal relationships, both current and past, (b) financial status and dealings, (c) connections with companies and interest groups, (d) connections with Governments and (e) published works; and what was held in January 2002.

Jack Straw: Ministers and officials in this Department have access to published reference sources, as well as to the information about hon. Members made publicly available by the House authorities, for the purpose of parliamentary business.

Kyoto Agreement

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Australian Prime Minister on his Government's decision not to sign the Kyoto Agreement.

Denis MacShane: Since 5 June when the Australian Prime Minister said that Australia would not ratify the Kyoto protocol at the present time, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed this issue with him. A senior level meeting between British and Australian officials took place in Bonn last week at a UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting. The UK Government will continue to engage constructively with the Australian Government and with all our international partners on the issue of climate change.

Departmental Grants

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which organisations which were in receipt of a grant from him in 1997–98 no longer are; what the annual saving is; which organisations which were not in receipt of a grant in 1997–98 now are; and what the annual cost is.

Mike O'Brien: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary of the Treasury on 17 June 2002, Official Report, column 137W.

Timber

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Malaysia concerning the export of illegal timber products.

Mike O'Brien: Ministers from DFID and DEFRA and officials from the Forestry Commission have been party to a number of discussions with the Government of Malaysia this year on environmental and forestry issues including the export of illegal timber products.
	Malaysia and the UK both participate in several international environmental fora where illegal logging and related forest issues are discussed at high level such as the Convention on Biodiversity and the United Nations Forum on Forests, which both held constructive meetings earlier this year. The UK was represented at ministerial level at both of these sets of discussions, by my hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) (DEFRA) at the United Nations Forum on Forests and by my right hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, West and Royton (Mr. Meacher) (DEFRA) at the Convention on Biodiversity conference.
	The Malaysian Minister for Primary Industries, the hon. Dato' Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik, visited the UN on 10 June 2002. During his visit, he met with two Ministers, my right hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, West and Royton (Mr. Meacher) (DEFRA) and my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble) (DfID), and discussed the illegal timber trade, certification schemes and related issues.
	The UK is funding two projects that should contribute to the sustainable management of tropical forests in Malaysia through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Environment Project Fund.

Bilateral Ministerial Meetings

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Ministers in his Department have held meetings with Ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1 June 2000; when and where each meeting took place; which Ministers were involved in each meeting; which Irish Government Departments were involved in each meeting; and which Ministers and officials from the Irish Government attended each meeting.

Peter Hain: FCO Ministers meet the Irish Foreign Minister regularly, eg in the margins of UN conferences (New York) and in the margins of EU Councils. My noble Friend Baroness Amos visited Dublin in July 2001, and the President of Ireland met my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary after the funeral of HM the Queen Mother in London in May. In addition, the Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland have regular contacts with the Taoiseach and other Irish Ministers, most recently at the British Irish Council in Jersey on 14 June.

India-Pakistan

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support was given by the United Kingdom to the United States during the recent peacekeeping mission to the India-Pakistan border.

Denis MacShane: holding answer 19 June 2002
	We are very concerned about the situation on the India- Pakistan border. We continue to work closely with the United States and other partners on all initiatives for easing the tension in the region.

Zimbabwe

Barbara Follett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on charging for consular and visa services in Zimbabwe, in the light of the divergence in the official and parallel rates of exchange in that country.

Denis MacShane: Since July 2000, the British high commission has been running its sterling post account using the parallel rate of exchange, and charging for some of its consular and visa services using the parallel rate. It has held charges for other consular and visa services at the official rate. Initially, the two rates were broadly similar. But since February 2001, the parallel rate has diverged increasingly from the official rate, and the Zimbabwe dollar is now trading on the parallel market at around 10 times the official sterling rate of exchange. In financial year 2001–02, this resulted in an under-recovery by the FCO of around £422,000 in consular fees.
	In order to regularise the position, and avoid any future shortfalls in recovery, the British high commission will charge for all consular and visa services at the parallel exchange rate, with effect from midnight on 23/24 June.

Heroin

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes have been recorded in the availability of street heroin in the EU since the removal of the Taliban regime.

Denis MacShane: General analysis of drugs markets suggests that changes at source take 12–18 months to have an impact on street level availability. In the first quarter of 2002 there were indications of heroin shortages in some member states, but in others no significant changes were reported. In the UK some local shortages of heroin have been accompanied by price rises and reductions in purity, but there is no indication of a widespread shortage or of a general upward trend in prices.

International Travel Ban

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what procedures are in place to monitor whether a person, subject to an international travel ban by either the EU or the United States, transits via a UK port en route to another destination.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 17 June 2002
	I have been asked to reply.
	We are not aware of any nationals, subject to a travel ban, passing through the United Kingdom to other countries. But at major United Kingdom airports, only passengers who present themselves at the immigration control seeking entry while in transit would come to the attention of the Immigration Service. Many others will remain airside and travel on in direct transit to their destinations without seeking leave to enter the United Kingdom.
	The United Kingdom Immigration Service is responsible for enforcing the travel bans. Immigration officers at ports have been instructed not to grant entry to those identified as being on the ban lists.

SCOTLAND

Flexible Working

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what proportion of the staff of her Department are (a) job sharing, (b) term working and (c) engaged in another form of flexible working.

Helen Liddell: My Department currently has four members of staff employed in a total of two job-share positions. There are no staff on term working.
	My Department operates a flexible working hours scheme.

Staff Numbers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff have been employed by her Department in each of the last 10 years.

Helen Liddell: The Scotland Office was established in its present form on 1 July 1999. Since that date my Department has employed the following staff:
	
		
			 Year Average number of staff 
		
		
			 1999–2000 70 
			 2000–01 94 
			 2001–02 109

New Deal

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people employed by the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible under the new deal for young people in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseekers' allowance or other benefits.

Helen Liddell: My Department is responsible for the Boundary Commission for Scotland. No new deal for young people appointments have been made by the commission.

Age Discrimination

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether her Department enforces a maximum retirement age for most staff; and whether it has a policy of not considering applications for employment by persons over a particular age.

Helen Liddell: holding answer 10 June 2002
	The expected retirement age for staff below the senior civil service is 60 years. Beyond this, staff can be retained on a year-by-year basis if they meet certain criteria. This policy is currently under review. In considering applications for employment my Department does not discriminate on grounds of age.

Longannet Deep Mine

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions she has held with Scottish Coal on the future of the Longannet deep mine in Fife.

Helen Liddell: Prior to liquidation, I had numerous discussions with Scottish Coal and the constituency Members of Parliament about the future of Longannet mine.

Unpaid Advisers

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to her answer of 8 May 2002, Official Report, column 202W, on unpaid advisers, if she will list the steps that were taken to ensure no conflicts of interest arose as a result of this appointment.

Helen Liddell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 19 June 2002, Official Report, column 332W.

Ministerial Training

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  how much has been spent by her Department on voice coaching for Ministers and officials in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much has been spent by her Department on training by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts for Ministers and officials in each of the last five years.

Helen Liddell: holding answer 26 April 2002
	The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
	My Department has incurred no expenditure on either voice coaching or training by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arms for Ministers and officials.

Aggregates Tax

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the impact of the aggregates tax on the quarrying industry in Scotland.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	A regulatory impact assessment for the aggregates levy was published at the time of Budget 2000. It is available from the Customs and Excise website.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

New Deal

John Bercow: To ask the Advocate-General how many people employed by the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible under the new deal for young people in each of the last four years have subsequently (a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseekers' allowance or other benefits.

Lynda Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, Official Report, column 535W.

Ministerial Training

John Bercow: To ask the Advocate-General 
	(1)  how much has been spent by her Department on training by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts for Ministers and officials in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how much has been spent by her Department on voice coaching for Ministers and officials in each of the last five years.

Lynda Clark: holding answer 26 April 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, Official Report, column 536W.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Rape and Sexual Assault

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many rape and sexual assault incidents were recorded in each year since 1993; and how many arrests and how many successful prosecutions were recorded in these years.

Jane Kennedy: The PSNI record criminal offences in terms of clearance rates as opposed to arrests. The following table indicates the number of sexual offences recorded in Northern Ireland 1993 to 2000–01.
	
		
			  Total sexual offences Percentage cleared Rape/ attempted rape offences Percentage cleared 
		
		
			 1996 1,187 74.1 193 77.2 
			 1994 1,333 88.9 208 69.7 
			 1995 1,697 81.5 259 81.1 
			 1996 1,745 85.0 292 80.5 
			 1997 1,444 85.7 294 80.3 
			 1998–99(19) 1,605 76.1 324 74.4 
			 1999–2000(19) 1,333 75.1 311 75.9 
			 2000–01(19) 1,176 67.8 232 67.7 
		
	
	(19) As recorded under revised Home Office counting rules
	The following table provides information on the number of prosecutions and convictions for rape, assault with intent to rape, and indecent assault from 1993 to 1999 (the latest figures available).
	
		
			   Prosecutions  Convictions  
			  Rape Assault with intent to rape Indecent assault Total Rape Assault with intent to rape Indecent assault Total 
		
		
			 1993 40 7 121 168 10 3 85 98 
			 1994 43 2 148 193 14 1 98 113 
			 1995 78 0 163 241 24 0 103 127 
			 1996 64 5 194 263 15 0 108 123 
			 1997 60 1 153 214 21 0 87 108 
			 1998 47 1 113 161 18 0 71 89 
			 1999 33 3 86 122 7 1 61 69

Car Crime

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) stinger and (b) similar devices used for the rapid arrest of a speeding vehicle have been purchased by the police in the past five years; and on how many occasions the occupants of stopped vehicles have been (i) arrested and (ii) successfully prosecuted.

Jane Kennedy: The PSNI has purchased 314 stinger spiked belts (245 of size 4.5m and 69 of size 7.6m) within the past five years. No similar devices have been purchased.
	The PSNI advise that recording of the use of stingers was implemented only at District Command level in September last year; therefore arrest statistics over the past five years are not available.
	Similarly, prosecution information specifically on persons stopped by the use of stingers is not available.

Advertising

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent on press and advertising campaigns in 2001–02; and what the planned expenditure is for 2002–03.

Jane Kennedy: Details of the Department's (including its agencies but excluding NDPBs) spend on press and advertising is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2001–02 (20)1,245,114 
			 2002–03 705,000 
		
	
	(20) This figure includes publicity costs for the General Election, which explains the difference between the two years.

Staff Numbers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff were employed by his Department on (a) 2 May 1997 and (b) 31 May 2002.

Jane Kennedy: Information is not held in the format requested.
	Full-time equivalent staff numbers in the Northern Ireland Office, for 1997–98 and April 2002, including civil servants, special advisers and prison governor and uniformed prison officer grades, are as follows:
	In 1997–98 there were 4,446 staff employed in the Department.
	In April 2002 there were 3,318 staff employed in the Department.

Police Informants (Children)

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his policy is on the use of children as police informants.

Jane Kennedy: The policy on the use of children as police informants is governed by Part 2 of the Regulations of Investigatory Powers 2000, Sections 29 and 43(8).
	The Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Juvenile) Order 2000 further clarifies this issue.
	In addition, the Home Office has draft codes of practice that set out the special safeguards relating to the use of juveniles. Although in draft form, they are widely available and have been used for some time.

Staff Training

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Department has spent on staff training and development in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: The amount of money spent on direct training over the last five years was:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 693,445 
			 1998–99 873,260 
			 1999–2000 1,057,797 
			 2000–01 1,290,625 
			 2001–02 1,166,365

Performance Targets

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the performance targets that his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet, apart from those set out in the public service agreements for 1999 to 2002 and 2001 to 2004; and if he will specify for each target (a) who sets it and (b) who monitors achievement against it.

Jane Kennedy: Apart from those set out in its PSA, the Northern Ireland Office and its agencies apply the following performance targets:
	Six service standards for central Government—standards set and, up until 2001, monitored by the Cabinet Office and performance results published in an annual report. Now monitored internally.
	Handling of ministerial correspondence—standards set and monitored by the Cabinet Office. Performance results published by means of an arranged PQ.
	Code of Practice on Government Information—standards set and monitored by the Lord Chancellor's Office with performance published in an annual report.
	More details about these targets and NIO's performance results can be found in its departmental report, the 2002 version due to be published on 14 June.
	Further information on performance targets for our agencies and NDPBs are detailed as follows:
	Agencies
	Northern Ireland Prison Service
	The Minister sets the key performance targets for the Northern Ireland Prison Service. The Director General is directly accountable to the Minister for the Prison Service's performance. The Director General, through the 'Fraser Figure', provides quarterly reports on performance against key targets to the Minister.
	The table gives the targets set for the prison service from 1999–2000 to 2002–03 excluding PSA targets.
	
		Key targets 1999–2000 to 2002–03
		
			 Key business area 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Safety Breaches of order and control do not exceed 7.1 per 100 prisoners. Number of incidents of assault by prisoners on staff less than five per 100 prisoners Number of staff assaulted by prisoners is less than a ratio of 6.8 per 100 prisoners Number of staff assaulted by prisoners is less than a ratio of six per 100 prisoners 
			   Number of incidents of assault by prisoners on prisoners less than 9.5 per 100 prisoners Number of prisoners assault by prisoners is less than a ratio 8.8 per 100 prisoners Number of prisoners assaulted by prisoners is less than a ratio of 8.8 per 100 prisoners 
			 Regimes and reducing re-offending 50 per cent. uptake on sentence planning in Maghaberry and Magilligan Prisons 50 per cent. uptake on sentence planning in Maghaberry and Magilligan Prisons 60 per cent. uptake on sentence planning Maghaberry and Magilligan Prisons An average minimum of 70 per cent. of prisoners serving six months or more, including 90 per cent. of life sentence prisoners, is working to a sentence plan 
			  3 per cent. increase in average constructive activity hours 80 per cent. utilisation of available places in education and workshop Establish baselines for weekly average hours of constructive activity attendance per prisoner for each prisoner group and set targets and systems of measurement for 2002–03 An average of at least 18 hours constructive activity per week for each sentenced prisoner 
			 An average of at least 9.5 hours constructive activity per week for each remand prisoner 
			 Staff and developing the service An average minimum of five days development and training per member of staff An average minimum of five days development and training per member of staff An average minimum of five days development and training per member of staff. Representation in recruitment competitions of: (a) Women; (b) Roman Catholics; and (c) Other under-represented groups An average minimum of five days development and training per member of staff. Deliver at least 85 per cent. of the planned training days associated with the agreed corporate training priorities 
			 Finance, corporate governance and improving business performance n/a n/a Lay annual report and audited accounts before Parliament prior to summer recess Lay annual report and audited accounts before Parliament prior to summer recess 
			 Expenditure is within the budget allocated 
		
	
	Forensic Science Northern Ireland
	The agency's key targets are set by the Minister and are published each year in the agency's corporate and business plan. Performance against these key targets is monitored by the NIO as the agency's parent Department. The agency's performance against key targets is published in its annual report and accounts. Both publications are presented to Parliament.
	Compensation Agency
	The performance targets for the Compensation Agency are set out in its published corporate plan 2001–04 and business plan 2001–02. The key performance targets are set by the departmental Minister and are monitored on a quarterly basis by the Department and reported to the Minister. Outturn against targets are published annually in the agency's annual report and accounts which are laid in Parliament.
	NDPSs
	Juvenile Justice Board
	The Juvenile Justice Board was appointed on a temporary basis in July 2000, pending the creation of a youth justice agency as recommended following a review of the criminal justice system in Northern Ireland. The board currently operates on the basis of a ministerial strategic steer which it is then required to convert into an agreed action plan. The current programme which covers the period August 2001 to July 2002 includes the following key issues:
	Regime development.
	Revised assessment procedures.
	Updated child protection procedures.
	In addition, and in preparation for establishing a purpose-built single centre at Rathgael, the board is also required to develop and further provide:
	Staff training—to ensure that staff have all the necessary skills required to meet the objectives set by the board.
	Community projects—which seek to provide further support for vulnerable young people in the community.
	The board has responsibility for on-going monitoring of each of the key action points and formal meetings are held with the Northern Ireland Office at regular intervals to review progress. The Northern Ireland Office retains responsibility for routine monitoring of related expenditure.
	Police Service for Northern Ireland
	The performance targets for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (formerly the Royal Ulster Constabulary) from 1999 to 2004 can be found in the following publications:
	A Policing Plan for Northern Ireland 1999–2000 (published by the Police Authority for Northern Ireland)
	A Policing Plan for Northern Ireland 2000–01 (published by the Police Authority for Northern Ireland)
	A Policing Plan for Northern Ireland 2001–02 (published by the Police Authority for Northern Ireland)
	Policing Plan 2002–05 (published by the Northern Ireland Policing Board).
	The performance targets are (a) set by the Northern Ireland Policing Board (formerly the Police Authority for Northern Ireland); and (b) achievement is monitored by the Northern Ireland Policing Board and actual performance against targets is contained in the Northern Ireland Policing Board's annual report.
	Ombudsman
	The performance targets for the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland are contained in their corporate plan and annual business plan. The performance targets are (a) set by the Police Ombudsman and (b) achievement is monitored by the Police Ombudsman and actual performance against targets is contained in the Police Ombudsman's annual report which is laid in Parliament.
	PBNI Performance Indicators
	Performance targets for the Probation Board for Northern Ireland are agreed on an annual basis by the Department on behalf of the Secretary of State in accordance with the Probation Board Management Statement. The management statement has been in place since April 1999 and the following table outlines the performance indicators which have been agreed to date. Achievement of the targets is monitored by the Department at regular overview meetings and at the end of year Ministerial Accountability Review. The targets are set out in the Probation Board annual business plan and achievement levels are recorded in the relevant annual report. Information prior to 2000–01 is not readily accessible and was in a different format. The targets outlined are those agreed as a result of the development of the management statement.
	
		Percentage 
		
			  Target for 2000–01 Target for 2001–02 Target for 2002–03 
		
		
			 The proportion of induction interviews arranged within five working days of sentence 90 97 98 
			 The achievement of the agreed standards regarding minimum levels of contact:
			 Offered 90 92 92 
			 Kept 40 45 60 
			 The proportion of supervision plans (within an agreed sample of 224) written to the agreed standards 80 80 83 
			 Where breaches of proceedings are appropriate, the proportion commenced within 10 working days of the incident occurring (within an agreed sample of 224) 85 85 87 
			 The proportion of offenders subject to an active community service order that work an average of five hours or more per week (within an agreed sample of 224) 85 85 87 
			 The proportion of community service orders that complete their sentence within 12 months 85 95 97 
			 The proportion of offenders whose risk assessment is reviewed at least every four months 80 85 90 
			 The proportion of pre-sentence reports or explanatory letters delivered to the courts by the date specified by the court 95 98 99

HEALTH

Pharmaceutical Lobbying

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he undertakes of the extent to which patients and professional groups who lobby for the increased use of pharmaceutical drugs are (a) financed and (b) influenced by pharmaceutical companies.

David Lammy: We make no such formal assessments, but do recognise that patient and professional representative groups receive funding from a variety of sources, including pharmaceutical companies.

Prescription Exemptions

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to review the prescription exemption system; and what plans he has to extend the prescription exemption to people suffering from asthma.

David Lammy: We have no current plans to review the prescription charging arrangements. Our policy is to give priority to helping people who may have difficulty in paying charges, rather than extending the exemption arrangements to people with other medical conditions including asthma.

Architectural Commission

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which 10 architectural partnerships have received the most commissions since 1997 from the NHS; and how much money each has each received for its work.

John Hutton: Of the 28 major hospital schemes (24 private finance initiatives and four public capital) which have reached financial close, the following architect firms and services have been commissioned by national health service trusts:
	
		
			 Trust Architect Cost (£) 
		
		
			 South Buckinghamshire NHS trust David Hutchison Partnership 55,006 
			 South Manchester university hospitals NHS trust HLM 275,000 
			 Hereford hospitals NHS trust Strategic Health (21)— 
			 Worcestershire acute hospitals NHS trust Strategic Health (21)— 
			 Swindon and Marlborough NHS trust Ansell and Bailey 134,178 
			 Leeds community and mental health services teaching NHS trust Thompson Spencer Associates (21)— 
			 St. George's hospital NHS trust Broadway Malyan 45,000 
			 Dudley group of hospitals NHS trust Llewellyn Davies (21)— 
			 Berkshire healthcare NHS trust Llewellyn Davies 36,879 
			 Gloucestershire Royal NHS trust Nightingale Associates 163,100 
			  Post PITN: Anshen Dyer Architects 39,273 
			
			 Publicly funded schemes   
			 Rochdale healthcare NHS trust Gilling Dod 144,000 
			 Central Sheffield university hospitals NHS trust George Trew Dunn Partnership 415,000 
			 Royal Berkshire and Battle hospital NHS trust Nightingale Associates 3,552,845 
			 Guy's and St. Thomas NHS trust Michael Hopkins and Partners 2,190,169 
		
	
	(21) Provided a package of advisory services, which included design elements, so not possible to identify architectural fees separately

Prescription Charges

Mike O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will add cystic fibrosis to the list of medical conditions entitled to free NHS prescriptions;
	(2)  for what reason cystic fibrosis was not added to the list of medical conditions entitled to free NHS prescriptions in the 1998 review;
	(3)  what percentage of sufferers of cystic fibrosis are in receipt of free prescriptions because they receive income-related benefits or for other reasons.

David Lammy: Our policy is to give priority to helping people who may have difficulty in paying charges, rather than extending the exemption arrangements to people with other medical conditions such as cystic fibrosis.
	When we reviewed the prescription charging arrangements as part of the 1998 comprehensive spending review, we noted that there was no consensus on what additional conditions might be included in any revised list of medical exemptions, or how distinctions could be drawn between one condition and another. We concluded that it would not be right to consider one group in isolation.
	We do not have information on what percentage of sufferers of cystic fibrosis are in receipt of free prescriptions. Information about items dispensed does not include information about patients.

Prescription Charges

Mike O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what medical conditions confer NHS prescription charge exemption; and in which year they were made exempt.

David Lammy: The medical conditions conferring exemption from prescription charge were introduced in 1968 and are set out in the National Health Service (Charges for Drugs and Appliances) Regulations 2000. They are:
	1. permanent fistula (including caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy or ileostomy) requiring continuous surgical dressing or an appliance;
	2. the following disorders:
	forms of hypoadrenalism (including Addison's disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential
	diabetes insipidus and other forms of hypopituitarism
	diabetes mellitus—except where treatment is by diet alone
	hypoparathyroidism
	myasthenia gravis
	myxoedema
	3. epilepsy requiring continuous anti-convulsive therapy;
	4. a continuing physical disability which prevents the patient from leaving his residence without the help of another person.

Prescription Charges

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost would be of removing prescription charges in the UK.

David Lammy: We estimate that the loss of prescription charge income in England would be around £434 million in 2002–03. Additionally, there could be significant additional costs to the drugs bill if people who currently pay charges sought prescriptions for medicines and other items which they currently purchase.

Diabetes

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of extra spending announced for the NHS in the recent Budget will be allocated for treatment of and research into diabetes;
	(2)  how much his Department plans to invest into long term cures for diabetes type one over each of the next five years;
	(3)  how much type one diabetes has cost the NHS in treatment over each of the last five years.

David Lammy: Information is not collected centrally how much Type 1 diabetes costs the national health service in treatment, but it has been estimated that around 5 per cent. of total NHS resources are used for the care of people with diabetes.
	The Budget provides the highest sustained growth in NHS history, with annual average increases of 7.4 per cent. in real terms over the five years 2003–04 to 2007–08. Decisions about the allocation of the increased funding will be announced later this year.

North Staffordshire (Health Care)

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will visit North Staffordshire to discuss with constituents in Packmoor progress on their petition for a GP surgery.

David Lammy: A range of options are being considered by North Stoke Primary Care Trust (PCT) in order to ensure that the residents of Packmoor and the rest of North Stoke receive a general practitioner service fit for the needs of the local population. I have no current plans to visit North Stoke but would be willing to meet constituents to discuss their concerns when I or one of my colleagues are next in the area, and the PCT's plans are more fully developed.

North Staffordshire (Health Care)

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding was given to the North Staffordshire health authority to assist it in producing the strategic service development plan; and if he will place a copy of the consultant's report in the Library.

John Hutton: North Staffordshire health authority received £60,000 from the Department to assist in producing its strategic service development plan. The PriceWaterhouseCoopers consultants' report formed one element of the overall expenditure.
	The consultants' report contains confidential and sensitive information about general practitioner services and cannot in its current format be placed in the public domain. The consultants' report is being used to inform the strategic services development plan, the main report of which is due for completion in summer. A copy of that report will be made available to local MPs and stakeholders.

Fibromyalgia

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on fibromyalgia; and what assistance is available through the National Health Service for sufferers of fibromyalgia.

Hazel Blears: The Department funds research to support its work on policy development and evaluation in health and social care. The Department supports research and development of relevance to the national health service in hospitals, general practice and other health care settings. The Medical Research Council (MRC), which is funded by the Department of Trade and Industry, funds medical research as part of the Government's funding of the research base.
	The Department commissioned a research project entitled "A Randomised Control Trial of exercise prescription in fibromyalgia" which was completed in September 2001. In addition the Department provides NHS support funding for research commissioned by the research councils and charities but which takes place in the NHS. The Department is currently supporting 9 such ongoing projects on fibromyalgia and full details can be found on the National Research Register at:hhtp:;;www.doh.gov.uk/ research/nrr.htm
	The MRC is not currently supporting any projects on fibromyalgia. However, it always welcomes high quality applications for support, which are judged in open competition with other demands on funding. Awards are made according to their scientific quality and importance to human health.
	The NHS provides a wide range of services to which people with fibromyalgia have access, and such patients are seen within a wide range of hospital specialities. Under the present system it is for primary care trusts to plan and arrange the services available to people in their care, as they are closest to the people they serve and so best placed to respond sensitively to their needs.

Epilepsy

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines on the treatment of patients with epilepsy have been given to primary care trusts; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The Department has supported the Joint Epilepsy Council in developing a "National Statement of Good Practice for the Treatment and Care of People who have Epilepsy", which was published in May 2002. The statement makes a series of recommendations for good quality epilepsy services. It is intended to facilitate commissioning and will be of use to national health service purchasers, providers and service users.
	The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) provides advice on best clinical practice to NHS clinicians, commissioners of NHS services, and to patients and their carers. NICE is developing a clinical guideline for the diagnosis, management and treatment of epilepsy, NICE is also conducting a technology appraisal of the clinical and cost effectiveness of new anti-epileptic drugs in children and adults to help promote appropriate uptake and equitable access. The appraisal is due late next year and the guideline summer 2004, and both will be available to primary care trusts.

Epilepsy

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if further research will be undertaken into the causes of sudden death of epilepsy sufferers;
	(2)  what further research he plans to undertake into SUDEP and epilepsy.

Hazel Blears: The Department has recently welcomed the publication of the National Sentinel Audit of Epilepsy- Related Death. The audit looked at investigations into epilepsy deaths, care provided prior to death and contact with bereaved families. It makes recommendations for improving epilepsy services. The Department has given a commitment to consider these and develop an action plan by September 2002 to try to reduce the number of epilepsy-related deaths.
	It is a long-standing, and important, principle of successive Governments that they do not prescribe to the individual research councils the detail of how they should distribute resources between competing priorities.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC) is the main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease. The MRC always welcomes high quality applications from the scientific community for support into any aspect of biomedical research, including epilepsy. Applications are judged in open competition with other demands on funding.
	In 2000–01 the MRC spent around £3 million on research relevant to epilepsy. Additionally, the Department has spent around £1.5 million on directly commissioned projects on epilepsy since May 1997. This research will help to improve our understanding of the condition and aid in the development of treatments for it.

Teenage Pregnancy

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence underlay the statement of his noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary that international research contradicted the claims made by Dr. David Paton of Nottingham university, in his paper on teenage pregnancy in the Journal of Health Economics, March 2002.

Hazel Blears: The social exclusion unit report on teenage pregnancy gathered evidence from the best available international research to inform the cross-Government teenage pregnancy strategy. That evidence is supported by more recent research which concludes that improved sex and relationship education and access to youth contraceptive clinics have been shown to reduce teenage pregnancy rates but do not hasten the onset of or increase sexual activity among young people.
	Copies of the following relevant publications are available in the Library:
	"Emerging Answers: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy".
	"Factors Affecting Changes in Rates of Teenage Conceptions 1991 to 1997".
	"Teenage Sexual and Reproductive Behaviour in Developed Countries. Can more progress be made?"
	"Why is Teenage Pregnancy Declining? The roles of abstinence, sexual activity and contraceptive use".
	"A League Table of Teenage Births in Rich Nations".

Nutrients

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of (a) the provisional findings of the EU Scientific Committee on Food on the upper safe levels of nutrient intake for vitamin-B6 and Niacin and (b) the levels accepted as safe in the UK by health food manufacturers; and by how much and for what reasons he expects those levels to be further reduced under the Provisions of Article 5 of the European Food Supplements Directive when being used as the basis for setting maximum permitted levels of nutrient content in food supplements.

Hazel Blears: The Government will take a view on these provisional findings when it receives advice from the expert group on vitamins and minerals (EVM), which has been established to draw up advice on maximum safe intakes of vitamins and minerals. The EVM is expected to publish its findings during the summer, and is aware of both the assessments of the SCF and other expert evaluations of the available evidence.
	The Government continues to press for a safety-based approach to setting of maximum limits under Article 5 of the EU food supplements directive; no specific levels for individual nutrients have yet been discussed.

Nutrients

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action the Food Standards Agency and his Department plans to take (a) to promote to other European Member States and Commission officials the conclusions of the forthcoming report from his Ad Hoc Expert Advisory Group on Vitamins and Minerals, (b) to commence a dialogue with Commission officials and the EU Scientific Committee on Foods about the information requirements for dossiers submitted for consideration in relation to the safety of vitamins and minerals which have been on the market for many years and (c) to use interGovernmental contact with other EU Member States to pursue his objectives in relation to the interpretation of the provisions of Article 5 of the Food Supplements Directive.

Hazel Blears: The food standards agency (FSA) will circulate the draft report of the expert group on vitamins and minerals (EVM) to the commission and all EU Member States, and will contact key officials to discuss the implications of these findings as appropriate.
	At the request of industry the scientific committee for foods has issued guidance on the required content of safety dossiers supporting use of nutrient sources, and the commission has issued guidance on the procedures for submitting such dossiers. The Government considers the guidance to be helpful and does not intend to intervene.
	The FSA continues to take every opportunity to put the case to other European Union member states that Article 5 of the EU food supplements directive should not be used to restrict unnecessarily the range of food supplements available to consumes specific plans for further contacts will be drawn up as appropriate when detailed risk assessments are available for discussion.

Nutrients

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (a) those nutrients and nutrient sources which are permitted for inclusion in food supplements under the annexes of the European Food Supplements Directive and (b) those nutrients and nutrient sources which are available on the UK market but which are not included in those annexes.

Hazel Blears: The final text of the directive, following adoption at development council on 30 May 2002, has not yet been published. Nutrients and nutrient sources permitted for inclusion in food supplements under the annexes of the European Food Supplements Directive (common position adopted by the Council on 3 December 2001) and published in the Official Journal C 90 E/1 on 16 April 2002 are listed.
	Nutrients
	Vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B1, B2, B6, B12, biotin, folic acid, niacin, pantothenic acid
	Minerals: calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, iodine, zinc, manganese, sodium, potassium, selenium, chromium, molybdenum, fluoride, chloride, phosphorus
	Nutrient sources
	Sources of vitamin A
	Retinol
	Retinyl acetate
	Retinyl palmitate
	Beta-carotene
	Sources of vitamin B
	Thiamin hydrochloride
	Thiamin mononitrate
	Riboflavin
	Riboflavin 5-phosphate, sodium
	Nicotinic acid
	Nicotinamide
	D-pantothenate, calcium
	D-pantothenate, sodium
	Dexpanthenol
	Pyridoxine hydrochloride
	Pyridoxine 5-phosphate
	Pterolylmonoglutamic acid
	Cyanocobalamin
	Hydroxycobalamin
	D-biotin
	Sources of vitamin C
	L-ascorbic acid
	Sodium L-ascorbate
	Calcium L-ascorbate
	Potassium L-ascorbate
	L-ascorbyl 6-palmitate
	Sources of vitamin D
	Cholecalciferol
	Ergocalciferol
	Sources of vitamin E
	D-alpha-tocopherol
	DL-alpha-tocopherol
	D-alpha-tocopherol acetate
	DL-alpha-tocopherol acetate
	D-alpha-tocopherol acid succinate
	Source of vitamin K
	Phylloquinone
	Sources of minerals
	Calcium carbonate
	Calcium chloride
	Calcium salts of citric acid
	Calcium gluconate
	Calcium glycerophosphate
	Calcium lactate
	Calcium slats of orthophosphoric acid
	Calcium hydroxide
	Calcium oxide
	Cupric carbonate
	Cupric citrate
	Cupric gluconate
	Cupric sulphate
	Copper lysine complex
	Chromium chloride
	Chromium sulphate
	Potassium fluoride
	Sodium fluoride
	Ferrous carbonate
	Ferrous citrate
	Ferric ammonium citrate
	Ferrous fumarate
	Ferric sodium diphosphate
	Ferrous lactate
	Ferrous sulphate
	Ferric diphosphate
	Ferric saccharate
	Elemental iron
	Potassium iodide
	Potassium iodate
	Sodium iodide
	Sodium iodate
	Magnesium acetate
	Magnesium carbonate
	Magnesium chloride
	Magnesium salts of citric acid
	Magnesium gluconate
	Magnesium glycerophosphate
	Magnesium salts of orthophosphoric acid
	Magnesium lactate
	Magnesium hydroxide
	Magnesium sulphate
	Manganese carbonate
	Manganese chloride
	Manganese citrate
	Manganese gluconate
	Manganese glycerophosphate
	Manganese sulphate
	Ammonium molybdate
	Sodium molybdate
	Potassium bicarbonate
	Potassium carbonate
	Potassium chloride
	Potassium citrate
	Potassium gluconate
	Potassium glycerophosphate
	Potassium lactate
	Potassium hydroxide
	Potassium salts of orthophosphoric acid
	Sodium bicarbonate
	Sodium carbonate
	Sodium chloride
	Sodium citrate
	Sodium gluconate
	Sodium lactate
	Sodium hydroxide
	Sodium salts of orthophosphoric acid
	Sodium selenate
	Sodium hydrogen selenite
	Sodium selenate
	Zinc acetate
	Zinc chloride
	Zinc citrate
	Zinc gluconate
	Zinc lactate
	Zinc oxide
	Zinc carbonate
	Zinc sulphate.
	Boron, cobalt, nickel, silicon, tin and vanadium are used in products on the UK market, but are not include in annexe I of the Food Supplements Directive (common position adopted by the Council on 3 December 2001) and published in the Official Journal C 90 E/1 on 16 April 2002. The Government have not compiled a definitive list of the many nutrient sources used in UK products and not listed in annexe II of that directive.

Motor Neurone Disease

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research into motor neurone disease the Government are funding; and what financial assistance the Government gives to the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Hazel Blears: The main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatment for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The Department also funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in the national health service.
	The MRC spent £1.4 million in 2001–02 on research relevant to motor neurone disease (MND) and on basic work on the function of motor neurones. The MRC also support a large portfolio of basic research into the biology of the brain and the nervous system in both normal and diseased states. Such studies may well have relevance to the treatment of MND and related conditions in the future.
	The Department has also supported work in this area. Recent research projects include the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of riluzole for the treatment of motor neurone disease that completed in August 2000. There is an on-going project on speech recognition for people with severe dysarthria (dysarthria is the inability to articulate speech and is common in MND patients) which is due for completion in July 2003.
	The Government give no financial assistance to the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Capital Projects

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the 35 per cent. design component of his Department's capital projects.

John Hutton: In order to evaluate tenders from bidders a preliminary invitation to negotiate (PITN) is sent out. The bidder's response to each question on the PITN is allocated a score and weighted percentage. 35 per cent. is the percentage mark attributed to the weighting of the design component.

Consultant Waiting Times

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there was a change in the basis for calculating the numbers of people waiting 13 weeks or more to see a consultant between the statistics for 31 December 2001 and those for 31 March 2002; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: There have been no changes in the basis for calculating out-patient over 13 week waiters since data collection started in 1994. The data collected refer to the waiting time from general practitioners written referral to first out-patient appointment.

Voluntary Hospices

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers he has to direct voluntary hospices.

Hazel Blears: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no powers to direct voluntary hospices.

Palliative Care

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was earmarked for palliative care for the three years ending 2003–04 (a) for the central south coast area and (b) for each other part of England; and how much of each sum was (i) committed and (ii) spent in 2001–02.

Hazel Blears: The Government have pledged in the NHS cancer plan that funding for specialist palliative care services, including hospices, will increase by £50 million per annum by 2004. This investment is included in the overall national health service investment for implementing the cancer plan. How the £50 million is deployed locally will depend on the needs of the area. Cancer networks have drawn up service delivery plans on palliative care to review the level of services offered in their area and these will ensure that each network has a range of palliative care services available. We are currently reviewing the outturn position for 2001–02 and the progress in that year.

Departmental Expenditure Limit

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much and what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit for 2002–03 had been spent by 31 May; what the figures were for 2001–02; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Reliable estimates for 2002–03 spending to 31 May are not available. Estimated outturn spending figures for 2001–02 can be found in "Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2002–03", published in May 2002 as command paper Cm 5401.

Staff Training

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Department has spent on staff training and development in each of the last five years.

David Lammy: Spend on training and development in the Department for the last five years has been as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 1997–98 5,119 
			 1998–99 8,366 
			 1999–2000 6,554 
			 2000–01 6,395 
			 2001–02 5,411

Hospital Appointments

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what restrictions will apply to the ability of patients and general practitioners to book hospital appointments at a time and place of the patient's convenience.

John Hutton: On 6 December 2001, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health announced proposals to give patients choice over where they are treated in the national health service.
	By 2005, all patients and their general practitioners will be able to book hospital appointments at both a time and place that is convenient to the patient. This might include local NHS hospitals, NHS hospitals or diagnostic and treatment centres elsewhere, private hospitals, private diagnostic and treatment centres, or even hospitals overseas. Lessons learned in pilots will be taken forward in the arrangements that operate from 2005.

General Practitioner Contract

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what diseases will qualify for quality payments under the tiered system outlined in the general practitioner contract.

John Hutton: The new general medical services contract framework agreement sets out the principles of how the new quality framework will work. The national health service confederation and the general practitioner committee of the British Medical Association are continuing to negotiate the detailed clinical and organisational standards and levels and will make them public in due course.

Nurses (Assaults)

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many physical assaults against nurses were recorded in (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999, (d) 2000 and (e) 2001;
	(2)  when he last met representatives of (a) Unison and (b) the Royal College of Nursing to discuss violence against nurses;
	(3)  what action the Government are taking to reduce assaults on nurses.

John Hutton: Violence against any member of staff working in the national health service is unacceptable. Significant action has been taken at both national and local levels to tackle the problem of violence as part of the cross-Government NHS zero tolerance zone campaign. This includes the issuing of new sentencing guidelines to magistrates courts, the publication of new guidelines on the withholding of treatment from violent and abusive patients and, for the first time ever, the allocation of central funding to support the large number of local initiatives being introduced to protect staff. A distance learning package developed specifically to support nurses in dealing with violence has also been issued jointly with the Royal College of Nursing.
	Information on the levels of violent incidents by individual staff group is not collected centrally, but may be held at a local level by NHS employers. The results of the 2000–01 survey of reported violent or abusive incidents, accidents involving staff and sickness absence in NHS trust and health authorities, in England, have been placed in the Library, along with a report setting out the Government's proposed action in the light of the findings.
	"Delivering the NHS Plan—next steps on investment, next steps on reform" included the commitment to ensure that all general practitioners have access to secure services for the treatment of violent patients, and the Government will be providing extra resources to primary care trusts to deal with violent patients.
	Officials have worked closely with the Royal College of Nursing, UNISON and other staff representative bodies on the development of each stage of the zero tolerance campaign, and will continue to do so.

Pharmaceutical Industry

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the contribution of medical science and education to the pharmaceutical industry.

Hazel Blears: The Government recognise that education and the science base are important factors in maintaining the attractiveness of the UK as a location for the research and development (R&D) pharmaceutical industry. Last year the Government published, jointly with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, a set of competitiveness and performance indicators which will be used to monitor trends in UK competitiveness as a location for the R&D pharmaceutical industry. Baseline data collected show that in the late 1990s the number of graduates in medical sciences from UK universities was similar to that in Germany and rather greater than in other European countries. Data also show that the UK Government spends more on R&D in health fields than does any other European Government. Copies of the Pharmaceutical Industry Competitiveness Task Force (PICTF)—Competitiveness and Performance Indicators 2001 report are available in the Library.

Health Care Professionals

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether it is his intention that health care professionals who refuse to provide him with patient information will face fines.

David Lammy: The possibility of a doctor being fined for refusing to disclose information on ethical grounds was a concern voiced during the affirmative procedure debates on the regulations. While the imposition of such a fine cannot be ruled out, circumstances where it would be the appropriate response are difficult to imagine. It is more likely that the involvement of appropriate bodies such as the General Medical Council would be the appropriate response.

Research Projects

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of long-term funding of dual support for externally-funded research projects.

Hazel Blears: The Department continues to provide resources in the national health service (NHS) to secure research funded through the dual support system. In March 2000, my noble Friend the Lord Hunt of Kings Heath announced the development programme for NHS research and development (R&D) funding set out in "Research and Development for a First Class Service: R&D funding in the new NHS". This includes transparent and accountable arrangements for targeting NHS funding on providing the NHS base for high quality science and on meeting the NHS costs of supporting high quality R&D under appropriate standards of strategic direction and quality assurance.

Cervical Smear Tests

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for results of cervical smear tests in each of the London health authorities was in (a) March 2001 and (b) March 2002.

Hazel Blears: The information is not available in the format requested. Information on waiting times for screening test results is only available for those areas where the result letters are sent to women directly by the health authorities (around two thirds of health authorities do this).
	In 2000–01, 60 per cent. of women in these health authorities received their written cervical screening test result within six weeks (54 per cent. in London). 91 per cent. (84 per cent. in London) received their written result within 10 weeks. It is likely that even where a letter is sent, general practitioners will notify their patients by more rapid means as soon as they have a result.
	Guidance from the national health service cervical screening programme states that women should have to wait no longer than six weeks for the written results of their cervical smear test. It is regrettable when delays occur and we look to the relevant trust and health authority to work together to address the reasons for any delay.

Bowel Cancer

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is available for the treatment of bowel cancer at Chase Farm hospital in Enfield.

Hazel Blears: This information is not held by the Department.

Tuberculosis

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the trends in the incidence of TB in England in the last five years; and if he will make a statement on the reasons for changes.

Hazel Blears: Data taken from five-yearly surveys of tuberculosis undertaken in 1988, 1993 and 1998 show that the incidences of TB are multi-factorial taking into consideration geographic distribution, ethnic distribution, age, place of birth and other risk factors of developing TB.
	Tuberculosis is a disease that we take very seriously and we continue to develop and implement programmes to improve TB control.

Toxoplasma Gondii

James Plaskitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the UK are known to be infected by toxoplasma gondii; how many reported deaths from toxoplasma gondii infection there have been in each of the last five years; and what research is being sponsored by the Department into the causes and treatment of toxoplasma gondii.

Hazel Blears: There is no current data available on the number of people known to be infected with toxoplasma gondii, as toxoplasmosis, the infection associated with toxoplasma gondii, is not a disease reportable under the Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations 1988. However, the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) has received the following confirmed laboratory reports for Toxoplasma gondii in England and Wales for the years 1999 to 2001:
	
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 1999 610 
			 2000 662 
			 2001 551 
		
	
	The numbers of deaths from toxoplasma gondii infection are not known, as the Office for National Statistics does not collect these statistics.
	There are two projects on the causes and treatment of toxoplasma gondii currently sponsored by the Department. These are:
	Use of neonatal blood spots for HIV and toxoplasmosis screening. Dr. H. Wilcox, St. Helier Hospital, Surrey, England
	GENET-EMSCOT: A study of genetic susceptibility in congenital toxoplasmosis. Dr. R. E. Gilbert, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients with deep vein thrombosis were treated by the NHS in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001.

Hazel Blears: The information shown in the table is the number of admissions to national health service hospitals in England where the patient's main diagnosis was deep vein thrombosis.
	
		
			 Year Finished consultant episode 
		
		
			 1998–99 24,871 
			 1999–2000 25,155 
			 2000–01 24,903 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Admissions are defined as the first period of patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. Admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	2. Figures are only given for NHS hospital in-patient admissions; there are no figures available for patients diagnosed or treated elsewhere. The figures are the latest available.
	3. The figures for 1998–99 to 1999–2000 are grossed for both coverage and invalid/unknown clinical data, but the figures for 2000–01 have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data (ie it is ungrossed).
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health
	The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) code used: 180.2

Deep Vein Thrombosis

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated time is between the formation of blood clots in the lower limbs of air travellers and the development of a deep vein thrombosis.

Hazel Blears: The formation of a blood clot in the deep veins of the lower limbs is a deep vein thrombosis. People who sustain a blood clot/deep vein thrombosis in the lower limbs may or may not have symptoms. In those who do have symptoms, these may occur soon after and any time up to several weeks after the blood clot/ thrombosis occurred.
	A two-year project by the World Health Organisation will start in June 2002 to establish whether there is a link between deep vein thrombosis and air travel.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of long haul air travellers he estimates suffer from blood clots in their lower limbs;
	(2)  what proportion of deep vein thromboses treated by the NHS since 1999 have been air travel related.

Hazel Blears: Information on the proportion of deep vein thromboses treated by the national health service which may have been travel related is not collected.
	We do not yet have sufficient scientific understanding of whether there are elements specific to the aircraft cabin environment that can increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis. For this reason the UK Government fully support the World Health Organisation's research into air travel and venous thromboembolism and has agreed to provide up to £1.2 million in funding for this work. The two-year project will start in June 2002.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what records are kept by the NHS on the incidence of thromboembolic diseases among air travellers;
	(2)  what plans he has to record the incidence of patients suffering from a deep vein thrombosis who have made a long haul flight up to four weeks before they contracted the disease.

Hazel Blears: The national health service does not currently record the travel history of patients with thromboembolic disease as a matter of routine. However, we recognise the importance of improving the understanding of any link between air travel and deep vein thrombosis. The United Kingdom Government therefore fully support the aims of the World Health Organisation's research into air travel and venous thromboembolism and have agreed to provide up to £1.2 million in funding for this work. The two-year project will start in June 2002.
	Any future plans to record such information will be informed by the outcome of this research.

Labelling

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she has put in place to ensure the implementation of the Curry report recommendations for clear and honest labelling of meat products.

Hazel Blears: The Food Standards Agency is taking the lead in pressing for changes to European Union labelling rules to require country of origin labelling on a wider range of foods, particularly meat products. It is also pressing for changes that would prevent misleading labelling by restricting the use of terms like "produce of . . ." to those foods where the main ingredients come from, and production processes occur in, the named place or country. Other EU member states are supporting the UK's initiative on this issue. In addition, the recent adoption of a harmonised definition of meat across Europe for food labelling purposes means meat products will declare and quantify their meat ingredients on a common basis, making it easier for consumers to compare products and make better informed choices.

Labelling

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to amend the law to require the labels on imported processed food to state whether the food contains beef from animals more than 30 months old or has been processed in a country where such meat is allowed to enter the human food chain.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 12 June 2002
	The Government are in favour of positive labelling giving consumers the information they need to make properly informed choices. The Food Standards Agency is taking the lead in pressing for changes to European labelling rules to require more informative country-of-origin labelling on a wider range of foods, particularly those containing meat.
	However, it would not be possible to extend labelling requirements to cover imported processed food containing beef from animals over 30 months old in the way that has been suggested. The rules covering the restrictions on sale of over thirty-month imported beef are UK national measures and such additional labelling requirements may not be in conformity with EU law. In addition, it is usually not possible to tell the age of the animal from which processed beef products have been derived.

Labelling

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many alleged incidents of condemned meat being illegally mislabelled and sold on for consumption have been investigated in each of the last five years; and how many prosecutions have been instigated for such offences in each of these years.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 17 June 2002
	The information requested is not held centrally.

Committee Mandates

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the mandate of the Committee for the Adaptation to Technical Progress of the Directive on the Removal of Technical Barriers to Trade in Colouring Matters which may be Added to Medicinal Products is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: The committee for the adaption to technical progress of the directives on the elimination of technical barriers to trade in the sector of colouring matters which may be added to medicinal products is a regulatory committee which assists the European Commission in exercising its powers of implementation and facilitates the adoption of draft measures in the field permitted colours for medicinal products. It consists of representatives of member states with a representative of the European Commission as chairman. The UK representatives are the chief executive of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA), in relation to medicines for human use, and the chief executive of the veterinary medicines directorate in relation to veterinary medicines. The committee has not met during the last 12 months and no costs to public funds have been incurred. Its rules provide for a written procedure which may be invoked as an alternative to convening meetings.
	Together with member states, the European Commission is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission". The Commission has published an annual report on the working of committees. The first report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 26 February (Com(2001) 783 Final). As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.

Committee Mandates

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the mandate of the Scientific Committee on Animal Nutrition is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The mandate for the scientific committee on animal nutrition (SCAN) is set out in European Commission Decision 1997/579/EC, as amended by Commission Decision 2000/443/EC. The committee provides opinions on scientific questions concerning animal nutrition.
	The committee has met seven times in plenary session in the year ending 30 April 2002. In addition, there have been several working group meetings. SCAN is composed of independent experts who do not represent the views of the member states in which they work. Three members are based in the UK.
	The committee is accountable solely to the European Commission, which pays the travel and subsistence costs of members. There are no additional costs to UK public funds. The committee is currently considering a number of dossiers for products used in animal nutrition. Minutes and current agendas of the committee's meetings can be found on the SCAN website.

European Economic Area Doctors

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors from the European Economic Area have been appointed as associate specialists in the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: At 30 September 2001 there were 50 associate specialists working in the national health service in England who had obtained their primary medical qualification in the European Economic Area.

Smallpox Vaccine

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 15 May 2002 to the hon. Member for North Durham (Mr. Jones), Official Report, column 725W, on smallpox vaccine, when the new supplies of vaccine will be delivered.

John Hutton: The Department is not putting information about the size of its smallpox vaccine stocks, delivery schedules or its deployment into the public domain as this is information that might be useful to terrorists.

Parliamentary Questions

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will answer the questions of 19 March from the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon on heart failure.

Hazel Blears: I replied to the hon. Member on Wednesday 19 June 2002.

Locum Doctors

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent by each acute trust on agency locum doctors as (a) a total annual amount, (b) a proportion of the annual expenditure on doctors' salaries and (c) as a proportion of the total operating expenses in each of the last five years for which records are available.

John Hutton: holding answer 10 April 2002
	The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Locum Doctors

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the savings which NHS trusts can make by recruiting locums from NHS Professionals rather than private agencies.

John Hutton: holding answer 24 May 2002
	NHS Professionals for doctors will improve the quality of patient care by establishing a national database of doctors outside managed organisations, improving standards and providing locum doctors with suitable appraisal and in due course support for general medical Council revalidation.
	NHS Professionals are non-profit making service designed for, and led by, the national health service. We expect it to provide a high quality competitive service as the first-choice supplier to the NHS. It is difficult to predict the precise savings as NHS employers have a variety of different arrangements with the private sector agencies.

Heart Disease Treatment

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on waiting times for heart disease treatment, broken down by (a) regional health areas and (b) PCT areas.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 29 April 2002
	Data on waiting times by primary care trust area are not yet available as many primary care trusts have only recently been formed. The following data show numbers waiting over nine months for coronary artery by-pass surgery and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty on 31 March 2002, by region and health authority, as was.
	Waiting times have been substantially reduced since the publication of the national service framework for coronary heart disease in March 2000. At that time 1,093 patients had been waiting for more than 12 months for a heart operation. By March 2002 we have achieved, with the exception of 20 patients who declined earlier dates, a 12-month maximum wait for revascularisation.
	
		Coronary revascularisation, position at 31 December 2001
		
			   CABG  PTCA  
			 Region/HA code/HA name 9–11 months 12+ months 9–11 months 12+ months 
		
		
			 Northern and Yorkshire 
			 QDD Bradford 11 3 0 0 
			 QDE County Durham and Darlington 19 3 3 0 
			 QDF East Riding and Hull 30 3 1 0 
			 QDG Gateshead and South Tyneside 6 0 0 0 
			 QDH Leeds 0 0 0 0 
			 QDJ Newcastle and North Tyneside 11 0 1 0 
			 QDK North Cumbria 25 0 0 0 
			 QDM Northumberland 3 0 0 0 
			 QDN Sunderland 4 0 0 0 
			 QDP Tees 16 1 0 0 
			 QDQ Wakefield 4 1 0 0 
			 QDR North Yorkshire 21 3 0 0 
			 QDT Calderdale and Kirklees 26 3 4 0 
			  176 17 9 0 
			 Trent 
			 QCG Barnsley 1 0 1 0 
			 QCH North Derbyshire 1 4 1 0 
			 QCJ Southern Derbyshire 0 0 2 1 
			 QCK Doncaster 10 0 1 0 
			 QCL Leicestershire 33 11 0 1 
			 QCM Lincolnshire 34 1 1 1 
			 QCN North Nottinghamshire 0 1 1 1 
			 QCP Nottingham 0 1 5 10 
			 QCQ Rotherham 6 0 0 0 
			 QCR Sheffield 7 0 0 0 
			 QDL South Humber 0 0 0 0 
			  92 18 11 14 
			 West Midlands 
			 QD9 Birmingham 41 58 7 1 
			 QEA Coventry 11 4 0 0 
			 QEC Dudley 17 13 3 1 
			 QED Herefordshire 8 7 1 0 
			 QEE Sandwell 22 20 1 0 
			 QEF Shropshire 0 0 0 0 
			 QEG Solihull 8 11 0 0 
			 QEH North Staffordshire 6 8 0 0 
			 QEJ South Staffordshire 12 11 1 0 
			 QEK Walsall 18 15 2 0 
			 QEL Warwickshire 14 9 0 0 
			 QEM Wolverhampton 20 23 4 0 
			 QEN Worcestershire 17 23 0 1 
			  194 202 19 3 
			 North West 
			 QC1 South Lancashire 15 7 3 0 
			 QC2 Liverpool 20 10 3 0 
			 QC3 Manchester 19 6 1 0 
			 QC4 Morecambe Bay 21 11 0 0 
			 QC5 St. Helens and Knowsley 16 9 1 1 
			 QC6 Salford and Trafford 10 2 0 0 
			 QC7 Sefton 6 0 2 0 
			 QC8 Stockport 9 8 0 0 
			 QC9 West Pennine 9 5 0 0 
			 QCT Bury and Rochdale 16 5 0 0 
			 QCV North Cheshire 7 6 1 1 
			 QCW South Cheshire 16 7 2 0 
			 QCX East Lancashire 15 5 8 2 
			 QCY North West Lancashire 20 7 15 1 
			 QDA Wigan and Bolton 11 3 0 0 
			 QDC Wirral 6 5 1 0 
			  216 96 37 5 
			 Eastern 
			 QA6 Bedfordshire 2 2 0 0 
			 QAX North Essex 25 6 1 0 
			 QAY South Essex 41 12 0 0 
			 QCF Suffolk 20 1 1 0 
			 QER Cambridgeshire 19 0 2 0 
			 QET Norfolk 19 1 1 0 
			 QEX Hertfordshire 60 11 9 1 
			  186 33 14 1 
			 London 
			 QA2 Hillingdon 1 0 0 0 
			 QA3 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster 0 0 0 0 
			 QA5 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 29 15 0 0 
			 QAD Croydon 0 0 6 0 
			 QAG Kingston and Richmond 7 0 2 0 
			 QAH Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 0 0 0 0 
			 QAJ Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 3 0 14 0 
			 QAP Barking and Havering 15 6 0 0 
			 QAR Brent and Harrow 3 0 5 0 
			 QAT Camden and Islington 3 2 0 0 
			 QAV Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 0 0 0 0 
			 QAW East London and City 17 7 0 0 
			 QEW Barnet, Enfield and Haringey 1 7 0 0 
			 QEY Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich 3 2 1 0 
			  82 39 28 0 
			 South East 
			 QA7 Berkshire 15 0 2 1 
			 QA8 Buckinghamshire 13 1 1 0 
			 QAE East Kent 7 0 0 0 
			 QAF West Kent 9 1 1 0 
			 QAK East Surrey 0 0 0 0 
			 QAL West Surrey 2 0 3 0 
			 QAM East Sussex Brighton and Hove 29 2 0 0 
			 QAN West Sussex 12 1 0 0 
			 QCC Northamptonshire 13 2 0 0 
			 QCE Oxfordshire HA 7 3 0 0 
			 QD1 North and Mid Hampshire 8 1 3 0 
			 QD3 Southampton and SW Hampshire 9 3 4 1 
			 QEV Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 6 7 0 0 
			  130 21 14 2 
			 South West 
			 QD5 Somerset 1 9 10 10 
			 QD6 South and West Devon 14 8 1 0 
			 QD7 Wiltshire 13 0 3 0 
			 QD8 Avon 12 10 5 5 
			 QDV Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 20 7 4 0 
			 QDW Dorset 0 0 0 0 
			 QDX North and East Devon 4 0 1 0 
			 QDY Gloucestershire 15 0 0 0 
			  79 34 24 15 
			  
			 England 1,155 460 156 40 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health form QF01

Immunisation Policy

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representatives of parents' organisations participate in his Department's studies of immunisation policy.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 23 May 2002
	We do not routinely seek the views of parent organisations. However, over the course of one year the Department consults a sample of 3,000 mothers. The purpose of this is to elicit their knowledge, attitudes and understanding of the immunisation programme. The information gained from this exercise is then used to inform our communications with health professionals and parents.
	A lay representative is shortly to be appointed to the joint committee on vaccine and immunisation who advise the Government on immunisation policy.

NHS Direct

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the nurse grade structure is of nurses that offer medical advice on NHS Direct.

John Hutton: holding answer 24 May 2002
	The nurse grade structure for NHS Direct consists of F and G grade nurses offering medical advice.
	NHS Direct defines what it requires of its nurses through a set of competency statements. Nurses can be recruited from any speciality provided they meet these competencies, although they must have between three and five year's post-qualification experience.

Fraud

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 17 April, Official Report, column 1037W, what the remit of the NHS counter-fraud service covers; and how many (a) staff and (b) members of the public the counter-fraud service has successfully investigated, and what range of penalties was imposed, in each year since 1998.

David Lammy: holding answer 24 May 2002
	The NHS Counter Fraud Service (NHS CFS) has the strategic, policy and operational remit to tackle fraud and corruption across the National Health Service, wherever it occurs.
	Information on successful investigations is shown in the table as follows. The information it contains was current as of 31 March 2002.
	
		
			  (22)1998–1999 1999–2000 (23)2000–2001 2001–2002 
		
		
			 NHS staff and contractors 
			 Prosecutions(25) 1 18 45 42 
			 Civil redress and disciplinary 4 37 74 44 
			 The public — — — — 
			 Penalty charge notices issued n/a n/a n/a (24)34,249 
			 Prosecutions(25) 2 3 1 3 
		
	
	(22) The director of the NHS CFS was appointed in September 1998 to establish the new organisation, and the strategy document "Countering Fraud in the NHS" was published in December 1998.
	(23) The NHS CFS Operational Service was established and became fully operational in January 2000.
	(24) Because of the low value of most NHS patient fraud (the current prescription charge is £6.20) it is not appropriate or cost effective to routinely prosecute those who perpetrate it. A process to recover the value of the charges evaded has been in place since the NHS CFS was established. In addition, Penalty Charges are applied. These are for a sum which is five times the charge which should have been paid plus the original charge up to a maximum of £100.
	(25) Only one prosecution (out of 115) has been unsuccessful in the last three years, however, the NHS CFS do not merely seek to apply criminal sanctions. Rather it seeks to combine criminal, civil and disciplinary sanctions to best effect.

Organ Storage (Alder Hey)

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many parents are pursuing information about the whereabouts of their children's organs improperly removed at Alder Hey Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: holding answer 11 June 2002
	As at 11 June 2002 the serious incident team at the Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital National Health Service Trust has received inquiries about organ retention from parents of 4,541 deceased children.
	The trust acts on behalf of parents inquiring about organ retention at the trust as well as that for the University of Liverpool.
	From all enquiries received, 1,372 have had organs and/or blocks and slides retained. This figure represents retention by the trust and the University of Liverpool.

Multiple Sclerosis

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding he is making available for (a) research into and (b) greater awareness of primary progressive multiple sclerosis.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 13 June 2002
	The main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC) which receives its funding via the Department of Trade and Industry. The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in the national health service.
	The Department and MRC spend for 2001–02 is estimated at £2.2 million on research into multiple sclerosis. This includes spend on basic work on a whole range of autoimmune disease.
	We are not making funds available directly for increasing awareness of primary progressive multiple sclerosis. The Department and the drug manufacturers have, however, agreed on an innovative way to secure disease modifying therapies on behalf of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The scheme allows patients with MS meeting the criteria of the association of British neurologists to be treated cost-effectively on the NHS. The scheme started on 6 May 2002 and is backed by statutory directions to ensure there is no postcode prescribing of these treatments.
	My hon. Friend the Minister of State (Jacqui Smith) announced on 12 June 2002 at the college of occupational therapists "Making Waves" conference that the national service framework (NSF) for long-term conditions will have a particular focus on the needs of people with neurological conditions and brain and spinal injury, and also address some of the common issues faced by people living with long-term conditions. We are now considering the next stage of work, which includes selecting and appointing an external reference group and developing further the communication and consultation strategy. We expect to publish the NSF in 2004 and to start implementation in 2005.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 30 April concerning a constituent.

David Lammy: holding answer 12 June 2002
	A reply was sent on 20 June.

Mechanically Recovered Meat

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what reports the FSA has received from meat processors on which products contained mechanically recovered meat.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 17 June 2002
	The Food Standards Agency has commissioned a study on the historic use of mechanically recovered meat from bovine animals undertaken before this practice became illegal. Arising from this, there have been consultations with meat processors, among others. Initial findings from the study, once available, will be considered by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee later this year.

Myeloma

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what percentage of myeloma patients in the UK are (a) men and (b) women;
	(2)  how many people in the UK were diagnosed with multiple myeloma in (a) 1975, (b) 1980, (c) 1985, (d) 1990, (e) 1995, (f) 2000 and (g) 2001;
	(3)  what percentage of myeloma patients in the UK are under (a) 50, (b) 40 and (c) 30 years of age;
	(4)  if he will list areas in the UK in which there are clusters of multiple myeloma sufferers.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Ian Gibson, dated 20 June 2002
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply on how many people in the UK were diagnosed with multiple myeloma in (a) 1975, (b) 1980, (c) 1985, (d) 1990, (e) 1995, (f) 2000 and (g) 2001, what percentage of myeloma patients in the UK are (a) men and (b) women, what percentage of myeloma patients in the UK are under (a) 50, (b) 40 and (c) 30 years of age, and to list areas in the UK in which there are clusters of multiple myeloma sufferers. (62684, 62682, 62686, 62685)
	The available information on the incidence of multiple myeloma in the United Kingdom is shown in the attached tables.
	We have no information on areas in the UK where there may be clusters of multiple myeloma 'sufferers'. To determine if indeed there are clusters, and if so where, would require an appropriate research study.
	Further information on trends in the incidence, survival and mortality from multiple myeloma can be found in Chapter 14 of the book 'Cancer Trends in England and Wales 1950–1999, SMPS No. 66, author M. Quinn et al, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.
	
		Number of newly diagnosed cases of multiple myeloma(26) in the United Kingdom(27), 1975 to 1998
		
			  Total number of cases 
		
		
			 1975 1,890 
			 1980 2,327 
			 1985 2,946 
			 1990 2,960 
			 1995 3,538 
			 1998 3,770 
		
	
	
		Percentage of newly diagnosed cases of multiple myeloma(26) in the United Kingdom by sex and age group, 1998
		
			  Percentage of all newly diagnosed cases 
		
		
			 Male 53 
			 Female 47 
			   
			 Age  
			 Less than 30 years 0.2 
			 Less than 40 years 1.3 
			 Less than 50 years 5.0 
			   
			  Total number of cases—3,770 
		
	
	(26) Multiple myeloma has been defined to the International Classification of Disease eight and nine revision (ICD8 and ICD9) code 203 for the period 1975–1994, and to codes C88 and C90 according to the International Classification of Disease tenth revision (ICD10) from 1995 onwards.
	(27) Cancer incidence figures for Northern Ireland are only available since 1993.
	Sources:
	England—Office for National Statistics
	Wales—Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit
	Scotland—Information and Statistics Division
	Northern Ireland—Northern Ireland Cancer Registry

Myeloma

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average life expectancy is of a myeloma patient.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	The information falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Dr. Ian Gibson, dated 20 June 2002
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply on what the average life expectancy is of a myeloma patient. (62688)
	Life expectancy is generally not estimated for cancer patients, because death rates in any age group would be much more heavily influenced by age at diagnosis than by survival from the disease.
	A better indicator is the proportion of patients who are still alive at various period of time after diagnosis. This is used almost universally in the assessment of cancer control programmes. The crude survival rate is simply the proportion of the original group of patients alive at the specified time since diagnosis, i.e. it takes into account both deaths from the cancer concerned and deaths from all other causes.
	The latest available information on crude survival for patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma in England and Wales is given detailed in the table.
	
		One and five year crude (percentage) of patients aged 15–99 diagnosed during 1991–93 with multiple myeloma(28), by sex, England and Wales
		
			  Number of cases 1991–93 One year survival (percentage) Five year survival (percentage) 
		
		
			 Men 3,774 55 16 
			 Women 3,408 53 14 
		
	
	(28) International Classification of Disease Ninth Revision Code 203
	Source:
	Report: Cancer survival in England and Wales, 1991–98. Health Statistics Quarterly 2000; 6: 71–80
	The most useful summary measure is the median crude survival time, i.e. the point in time at which 50% of the original group have died (from any cause), but diagnosed with myeloma; this was just about 15 months for men and 14 months for women.
	More information is available in Health Statistics Quarterly 2000; 6, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.

Drug Treatment

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time has been for treatment for a heroin addict in Plymouth in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The current waiting time for non-urgent specialist prescribing for a heroin addict in Plymouth through statutory drug services is 65 weeks (which has remained stable since December 2001) 1 and through those general practitioners who initiate prescribing the waiting varies from immediate access to three months 1 . For non- urgent specialist prescribing through the non-statutory services that facilitate shared care with general practitioners, the maximum wait for community opiate detoxification is three months 1 and the maximum wait for longer-term opiate substitute prescribing is 12 months 1 .
	Urgent cases are seen within one week 2 .
	1 Information as of June 2002 from local DAT Co-ordinator
	2 Information as of June 2002 from Primary Care Trust

Oestrogenic Steroids

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to monitor the flow of oestrogenic steroids into the human food chain.

Hazel Blears: The use of all hormones, including oestrogenic steroids, as growth promoters in food producing animals is banned throughout the European Union. The veterinary medicines directorate routinely monitors for synthetic hormones in animals in Great Britain as part of our EU obligations. No evidence of their use has been reported in recent years.

Age Discrimination

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each NDPB or agency sponsored by his Department (a) the maximum retirement age adopted for most employees, and that age and (b) whether they have a policy of not considering applications for employment by persons over a particular age, and that age.

David Lammy: holding answer 24 May 2002
	At present the Department and its executive agencies have a normal staff retirement age of 60 and do not consider applications for employment from those over that age. However, the Department is now involved in a centrally led initiative, Winning the Generation Game, which will examine age-related issues such as flexible retirement beyond the normal retiring age of 60. The Department would expect that its non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) would also wish to adopt any revised policy the Department itself adopted as a consequence of that initiative. The following policies on retirement age apply in the Department's NDPBs:
	Commission for Health Improvement (CHI)
	CHI does not set a particular retirement age for any of its employees. It would however anticipate that most staff would choose to retire by the age of 60 as this is the age at which they could retire without losing any pension benefits. CHI will consider applications for employment from people of any age and does not have a policy of not considering applicants over a certain age.
	General Social Care Council (GSCC)
	The retirement age for GSCC employees is 65 years of age for both men and women. The GSCC policy allows staff to continue to work beyond the usual retirement age following an annual review on retirement date. Decisions to continue employment are authorised by the chief executive or one of the directors. The GSCC currently has two staff employed over the age of 65, one male and one female. The GSCC has no upper age limit for the appointment of staff. All appointments are made on the assessment of the applicant's competence to undertake the job.
	Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)
	The normal retirement age for HFEA employees is 60. The retention of any employee beyond that age is a matter for the chief executive's discretion. These principles also apply to the HFEA's recruitment policies.
	National Biological Standards Board (NBSB)
	The NBSB has a normal retirement age of 60. However, this is not a maximum retirement age. The board operates a policy whereby, in exceptional cases, staff may be asked to work beyond their normal retirement age. There is no policy of not considering applications for employment by persons over a particular age. The board's policy on retirement age is currently under review.
	National Care Standards Commission (NCSC)
	The normal age of retirement for the majority of employees at the NCSC is 65, although some staff who transferred from local authorities and health authorities carried forward existing contracts enabling them to work beyond 65 at the employer's discretion. The Commission does not put an age limit on its consideration of applications for employment.
	National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB)
	NRPB's normal retirement age is 60, but in the event of ill health, redundancy, limited efficiency or to remedy defects in the staffing structure an earlier retirement date may be effected. At present, NRPB employs people up to age 60.
	Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS)
	While the policy of the PHLS does normally require staff to retire at age 65, the service has been flexible where necessary, consistent with both the wishes of the individual and the needs of the PHLS. The PHLS recognises, however, that it is becoming apparent that the significant shortfalls in various professional groups of employees will require a further review of its position to ensure that the service's professional standards are maintained. Although the service does not normally appoint new staff aged over 65, there is no PHLS policy of not considering applications from people over a particular age.

Stents

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the relative costs and benefits of stents and drug eluting stents in (a) reducing the need for open heart surgery, (b) increasing the number of treatments undertaken and (c) reducing the incidence of restenosis after angioplasty.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 10 June 2002
	The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) issued guidance on the use of stents in May 2000. This guidance is due for review in April 2003. The Department referred drug eluting stents to NICE on 20 May 2002.
	NICE will provide evidence based advice to the National Health Service in England and Wales on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of drug eluting stents compared to 'bare' stents, and on their appropriate use.

Cutting Plants

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cutting plants there are in the United Kingdom that are licensed to remove specified risk material from slaughtered cattle; what the locations of these plants are; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 12 June 2002
	The only specified risk material that can be legally removed at cutting plants is the vertebral column of certain bovine animals. In the United Kingdom there are 50 cutting plants licensed for this purpose. The are located as follows: 20 in England, two in Wales, eight in Scotland and 20 in Northern Ireland. There is one cutting plant in Scotland that is licensed only to remove the vertebral column of cattle from beef assurance scheme herds.